


When Belief Shapes Reality

by Persnikitty



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Physical Abuse, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Tropes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-07-29 22:11:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 87,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16273391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persnikitty/pseuds/Persnikitty
Summary: The reality of things is absolute, except when it's not. This is especially true if belief is all you really have, augmented by a demon lord.





	1. Oathbound

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the Tropes Begin!

He was blond, looked to be three or four years of age, and was restlessly tossing in his sleep. The twin shadows in his meager apartment would have been very interested in knowing where he was sleeping, which was two floors down and three apartments over.

The manager had been 'silenced' the prior year, after a month or so of Naruto's residency. The boy had been there once it was discovered he had been kicked out of the last in a long line of orphanages and had been living out of dumpsters and alleys for most of his fourth year.

The other residents had long since moved out except for one belligerent old lady who had passed away somewhat recently when her heart suddenly failed.

Part of the reason for that was the blond creature, of her highly vocal scorn, had shown up at her door with a fist full of field flowers and a pleading yet tired expression. He had seen others in the village give flowers to appease angry women, and since this woman was always angry, Naruto had spent hours scouring training fields and private gardens for his 'peace' selection.

She flew into an apoplectic conniption fit at the demon on her doorstep then paused as her left arm contorted painfully while her right fist gripped her chest. Strangely silent, she toppled backwards, going from vertical to horizontal in one smooth motion.

Young Uzumaki Naruto believed that he was the reason she was dead since she had been alive and well prior to his knocking; he had killed her and the scene wracked his young brain with guilt and nightmares filled with ominously dark yet muffled laughter.

It had taken him several days to move her: he was five and a half (neglect and malnutrition would stunt anyone's growth) and she was dead-weight. He could only work after the summer sun had gone down, and by the second night, she was already turning ripe, not to mention the miasmic stew of her bodily excretions.

The experience was, in a word, vile.

Such an event can be quite a shock to the system, especially for an empathic five and a half year old. Being verbally abused, then having the abuser up and die, then having to move the former abuser out of the apartment before the stench of decay fouled up the rest of the complex could only create a complex.

Once that scent got in the cheap stucco and sheet rock, it would never come out. But such a shock led to his current situation. He knew his body was physically away from his apartment.

He had acquired habit of not sleeping in the same room twice in a row; right now, however, where he was sleeping was not a concern. What was a concern was his current location: a sewer with shin-deep water (at least on him) lit by an odd bluish-reddish-purplish glow pierced with the occasional harsh whitish-yellow overhead lamp.

_They buzzed disconcertingly._

Luckily, the latter were only over intersections, as the brightly odd light washed out his skin and hurt his eyes, even as the strange hum of the lights put his teeth on edge. Having nothing else to do and not really knowing how to leave this place, since he wasn't completely sure where he was, he set off in what he hoped was a promising direction.

He didn't know that every path in this place all led to one destination: the Cage.

01001110 01100001 01110010 01110101 01110100 01101111

**"Look at you, insect, a pathetic creature of meat and bone panting and sweating as you run through my corridors."** *

Naruto ran pell-mell through the flooded halls, his young heart pumping as the words echoed around him. The harsh overhead lights would occasionally flicker, to no discernable rhythm.

_They buzzed disconcertingly._

Entering a large hall, the ceiling lost in darkness, he skidded to a halt. His skin prickled, feeling very exposed as he nervously began walking down the center of the massive floor. The shadowy walls were even less inviting.

Cautiously he crept forward, he sensitive ears catching the sound of breathing. From this distance, he knew whatever it was, it would be huge. He was not to be disappointed as when he was not a hundred feet distant, two ruby slits opened some eighty feet in the air. He felt the air displacement as tails of fire ignited behind it.

The crawling, flickering flames backlit the monstrous creature. It slowly lowered its head and made a show of sniffing the air, the suction nearly sweeping Naruto off his feet. And then the creature chuckled, the booming sound echoing across the otherwise empty chamber.

**"You move like an insect. You think like an insect. You _are_ an insect.** *

**"I was not expecting you this early, though perhaps this is for the best."** A huge vulpine grin split the darkness showing blindingly white and very sharp teeth.

Naruto's eyes widened and his face paled under the onslaught of such raw and evil power. His heart beat an erratic tempo within his chest, lungs straining for air. He didn't even feel his bladder release.

Nothing compared to the sheer power sleeting past him, not even Dog-san's invisible glare.

The acrid scent wasted no time in reaching the shadowed behemoth and it guffawed in derisive glee.

**"This is my jailer? A bed wetting hairless house ape and a puny one at that. If I had any shame, I would be deeply embarrassed by your mere proximity, insect."**

It paused for a moment. **"I should eat you now and save both of us from your putrid existence."**

Struggling under the pressure, Naruto raised his head, eyes hard. His lips twitched, but he stayed strangely silent; however, that didn't mean his mind wasn't shuffling through images.

**"Furball?! You think I'm a _furball_?! I'll have you know, meatbag, that I am the mighty Kyuubi, Nine-Tailed Demon Lord, God of Kitsunes and Vulpines!"**

Despite the threats, Kyuubi was still solidly imprisoned, the Cage's seal powered not only by Minato's skill, but also the contract with the Death God.

A wickedly delicious thought ran through his head: if he could mentally break his jailer, not only would he gain eventual freedom, but would have a possessed minion to wreck his havoc on the fools which imprisoned him.

Shape shifting was second nature to a kitsune, especially for their ruler. The true identity of his jailer, the important people in his young life and every single memory from the instant of sealing, all of this was known. Kyuubi knew which buttons to push and if all worked out as planned, this pathetic anthill would be looking for a new ruler by week's end, if not fleeing the flames of righteous fury as their precious village fed his hunger and lit the night sky.

Suddenly, to Naruto's eyes, the gigantic fox with nine flaming tails vanished. In its place was a tall blond man in a jounin outfit wearing a white cloak with flame patterns rising from the hem.

This man was known from stories and pictures: his hero, the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.

"Son, I am extremely disappointed in you."

Naruto fell backwards, surprised at finding himself so close to the Cage, now not ten feet distant. The words, coupled with the image of his hero, made it even harder to breathe.

_'What does 'son' mean again?'_

"I know this comes as a shock, my son...I am your father, Naruto. To save this village, and to give it a weapon, a mighty demon was sealed into my own child." Kurama made sure to employ pauses and body language used by humans.

"The reason for all the hate, all the attacks, all the abuse was because of me. You don't actually think I would use just anyone for this, do you?

"You were supposed to be seen as a hero, not the demon itself. Even in this, my first and only child, you could not be trusted.

"You have shamed myself and your ancestors, and I finally see the mistake in selecting you for this duty. Even now, your mother's dead kin, indeed her entire broken village, weeps.

"Come, there is no reason for you to carry this burden any longer. Perhaps, in time, another will be found who will not tarnish our name." A 'come here' motion was used, followed by wide open arms and a stern expression.

Jerkily, Naruto stood, his eyes shadowed. When he lifted his head, his face was drawn in pure anger. This was not wholly by what was said; the mind can be deceptively quick and some things simply rang true. Rational reasons for the village's general treatment towards himself were assimilated.

However, the remarks of Naruto somehow being a blood relative to Konoha's greatest leader were too farfetched for his young mind to wrap around.

No, what angered him was not the words, but the 'person' saying them. He knew that wasn't really Namikaze Minato standing there. The Fourth Hokage had died almost six years ago and was buried in a large shrine.

If anyone knew that, it was Naruto since he was once trapped within the secret crypt beneath the shrine for several days so that he could 'understand just who he had stolen from the village'.

He was angry at the demon who mocked him, using his desire for family combined with the physical image of Konoha's greatest hero, her sacrificial Hokage, and his own personal inspiration. Naruto knew who was really inside the cage as his trembling finger pointed at the figure inside.

Minato/Kyuubi watched the mental collapse with barely repressed glee as the bars of his great cage started to crack and fade. And then suddenly, his transformation failed.

From out of the shadows, ten thick chains homed in on the exposed Kyuubi, wrapping themselves around each tail and his neck.

He quickly began to shrink, now no larger than a horse, and was being forced into even smaller shapes. The size change was so rapid and drastic that an actual thunderclap resounded from the air rushing in to fill the sudden vacuum.

Then he felt it: something clicked around his neck. Immediately after, he heard it, the simple chime of a single bell, just below his jaw.

_**'Perhaps a mistake was made.'** _

Within seconds, he went from a gigantic fox demon to a year-old actual fox kit, barely eight inches at the shoulder. Each of his nine tails were secured by chains attached to his belled and leashed the seal-marked collar.

The once massive cage which once filled the chamber's end, all the way to the distant ceiling, was now a three meter pole with a similar length of slack chain around its base connecting him to it.

With mounting trepidation, the once mighty Kyuubi watched as Naruto slowly walked towards him on anger stiffened legs. He virtually stalked-stomped up the fox, picked up the Demon Lord by the scruff of his neck, brought him up to eye level, and then did something the millennia-old demon never expected.

Naruto scowled, licked two fingers, then gave a fierce stinging slap across the fox's nose. The sound echoed through the chamber; unbidden tears welled up in the demon's eyes.

_**'That actually hurt...a lot. Oh hells no!'**_ Kyuubi began to struggle, thinking to slip out of Naruto's grip and regain dominance when he heard it: the Growl. Not just any growl, but the _Growl_.

This was command from all Alphas to obey without question and to know ones place. It started in Naruto's throat and went straight to a small place in Kyuubi's brain, then flicked the switch repeatedly.

Before Kyuubi could understand what was going on, he found himself on his back, his belly exposed, crimson eyes locked on Naruto's ice-cold blue ones. Naruto's left had was around Kyuubi's throat and his growl was in the Kyuubi's head. He began to feel something he had only seen in others: fear.

"Bad! Fox!" Naruto leaned in closer, growling the entire time. Those were the first words Naruto had spoken to the fox, the first he had spoken at all, his voice cracked and dusty from disuse.

He scowled in aggravation, unable to put his thoughts into words, so he did the next best thing. He glared as hard as he could into the fox's eyes and pictured in his mind just what he would do to the creature if it ever did something like that again.

Nonsense words were croaked aloud. They might have well been an entreaty towards the Elder Gods for all the sense they made. He smacked the fox across the nose again for emphasis.

Unbeknownst to Naruto, but easily visible to the writhing fox, the boy's images were playing themselves out on the walls and ceiling, creating vast panoramas of torture and promised pain. The child's croaked verbiage only added to the unease. It was time to lie, wheedle and beg; time to bargain.

The chains, which so reminded the fox of his previous host, not only bound, but also removed much of his power. As he was now, even the simplest of illusions was beyond him. This needed to be rectified.

**"This one,"** began Kyuubi, adopting a feigned submissive posture, which meant relaxing his body under the boy's grip. **"This one apologizes. I really had no idea you would react so violently to a simple illusion.**

**"We kitsunes are masters at illusions and shape-shifting. Restore my rightful power to me, and I will aid you. I will give you all which your heart desires. I will grant all your deepest and darkest wishes. I will bestow my race's blessings and gifts."**

He could see the boy's features smoothing. **"Forgive and restore me and I will be yours to command."** His hooded eyes seemed to close, observing the boy and waiting for the chance to strike back.

Kyuubi left off the fact that Kitsunes are also pranksters and masters of the deal. He had no intention at all of honoring anything. Being a Demon Lord, he should have remembered, but was confident a reversal of fortune was imminent.

Naruto's next words would stop him cold, breaking his hubris.

"Promise?"

The boy got a firm nod, the creature's eyes still closed.

Naruto growled deeply and croaked out, "Speak promise!"

**"Do you doubt me, human?"** Kyuubi opened his eyes, adopting a stricken expression.

If at all possible, Naruto's eyes got a touch colder as they narrowed. "Demon! Demon speak promise brat!"

Though crude, the Kyuubi understood the message and intent. That said, the boy had not actually vocalized anything meaningful. Images were one thing, but words were another.

Naruto, not understanding the pause, did something he had seen others do to animals he had touched. Given his age and isolation, he really didn't understand, not completely.

His right hand grabbed hold of the rear legs, and with his left hand around the fox's neck, he pulled them apart. He lacked the strength to pop off the head, unlike the others which he had tried to befriend.

Kyuubi, for his part, finally gave into panic, having seen behind Naruto the memories replayed, and the boy's intent.

The thing is, there had not been enough time to reverse bind them. Kyuubi knew if Naruto died, then he died. If Naruto had naturally come to rely on the Kyuubi's purified power, as he would eventually as more of it filtered into Naruto's own chakra system, then if Kyuubi died or was forcefully removed Naruto would die as well.

That had been part of Kyuubi's long term plans so Naruto would lose some crucial bargaining chips, if it ever came to deal-making, but such integration and unconscious reliance wouldn't have started for several more years.

The boy had shown up too soon.

If anything, the amount of their combination and genetic mutations to date would merely shorten Naruto's expected life span by about a decade, maybe fifteen years at most.

The changes to Naruto's cellular regeneration were already done and set, so if Kyuubi were to vanish, Naruto would keep those, as well as his enhanced senses. The loss of Kyuubi's chakra would cripple Naruto for a while as his own coils would collapse before rebuilding, and he would lose the almost instant healing.

He would still heal faster than the average person, have less scarring, be highly resistant to poisons and other toxins and have an almost total immunity to disease.

If Kyuubi was to die now, Naruto would only be mildly inconvenienced, given all which the boy would retain. The demon felt Naruto ready for another attempt, and could do nothing to physically fight back.

His hubris had brought him low. The boy had stated a condition, which had yet to be fulfilled. In the end, the words didn't matter at all, but the intent behind the broken speech.

That said, there was a part of Kyuubi, the analytical side, which was impressed, just a bit, with the boy's spatial manipulation. In his natural state, Kyuubi was not a small thing, and yet...and yet now, he was.

If he managed to survive this bungled confrontation, he would think more on it. Perhaps, if the words were said, one hand could wash the other. Then there might be time to try something else, some other way to escape this prison.

Despite being a force of nature and chaos incarnate, the fox was pragmatic. One didn't rise from a no-tail to nine-tail from blindly rushing into things.

The thing is, there was his pride. It was great and terrible, having been built up over eons. On the other hand, this child was earnestly trying to pop off his head.

If the boy ever realized that his intent could shape this place, then Kyuubi would be killed and given up to the Shinigami for eternity. He would no longer reform, would no longer fulfill his duties, would never again roam free.

With a sigh of defeat, tinged heavily with shame, Kyuubi spoke. **"I, Kurama, so swear upon my honor as the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Nine-Tailed Demon Lord."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Ch1.1: modified SHODAN quote from System Shock 1, Looking Glass Studios, 1994.  
> A/N Ch1.2: modified SHODAN quote from System Shock 2, Looking Glass Studios, 1999.


	2. A Safe Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous Chapter: Tropes and more tropes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

The images and growl subsided in their intensity, though Naruto's hand remained loosely on the fox's neck, only to trail down and gently rub the Kyuubi's chest and belly. For his own part, Naruto was deep in thought and the images around him, though he himself was oblivious, gave the kitling Kyuubi food for thought.

As for Kurama, in contrast he was having difficulty thinking. He hadn't had even a halfway decent belly rub in millions of years.

Quite aside from that, this was the first time he had actually 'looked' at his warden. His mind was sharp and powerful, despite its disuse, that much Kurama could deduce from his own much reduced state, something which should have been impossible.

Then there was the vibrant images, some even having realistic detailing and motions, almost like a moving picture. He saw played out Naruto's memories, the current ones dealing with the few 'pets' Naruto either once had or had wanted. Every single last one, even the puppy Naruto had pet only once, had been ruthlessly tracked down and killed to keep the 'demon brat's' taint from spreading.

Add to that Naruto's almost casual attempt to remove Kurama's head from the rest of his body, and you had a mass murderer in the making. He had learned through observation, without any instruction on the whys, aside from preventing demonic taint.

That made Kyuubi angry, for not only was he a force of nature, nor the elemental guardian of Fire Country, but he was also made of nature, or rather, a combination of elemental and natural chakra and thus had connections to all things in nature, including its denizens.

Normally, Kurama wouldn't have cared about any humans which got caught up (them being rather numerous and noisy), unless the boy began to worship Jashin. But now, his own self was on the line, and if the boy became an amoral butcher, even Kurama would not be safe. So, to save himself, other things would have to be preserved as well.

So, aside from some ethical groundwork, all in the name of self-preservation, Kurama had yet another hindrance. The moment he gave his word, he had been branded by the Oath Seal upon his forehead.

Given the fake promises stated, now made very real, Kurama was only now realizing how greatly he had screwed himself. Moving against the boy now would be difficult to say the least.

It was something to ponder later, as currently it was proving difficult to focus. Aside from the belly rub, there was a strong urging to teach the boy. Kurama knew, from his long history, that if promises were made and not kept, one under the Oath Seal would, in short order, be driven mad.

Like it or not, Kurama was now Naruto's to command, and the boy yearned to learn a great many things.

**"Boy, as nice as that feels, I need you to stop. You may still stroke my back, but not my belly. At least, not for now. If you are a good boy, I might let you later. As I have said, I am Kurama. What is your name?"**

The boy did as he asked, looking somewhat embarrassed as he left off the belly rubbing and started the back scratching beneath the curled up nine tails bound to the seal marked collar.

The question made him scowl a bit though and it was clear that he was a bit hesitant or unsure in speaking. "Na..na..la...ra..," his rusty voice faded out as his face knit in concentration.

Feeling his host's frustration, Kurama quickly scanned the boy's memories and found a name that might fit. **"Uzumaki Naruto. Is that your name?"**

A quick nod, coupled with bright blue eyes and very quick but honest smile, confirmed the identity. The boy seemed almost happy at being...acknowledged? When asked about his speech, the boy ceased his petting and looked ashamed.

Kurama once again sorted through memories and found that though the Hokage had assigned tutors to the boy to teach him to read and write, none of them had. Instead, the child had been beaten, with promises of more pain if he said anything. Knowledge is power, after all, and the last thing they wanted the 'demon brat' to have was power.

Naruto's very limited vocabulary seems to have been picked up from hurled insults and things heard on the street, but not from anything painted on his walls. Those weird markings only confused the boy.

With a mental sigh, Kurama knew he would need to start almost from Square One as the boy obviously did not know even the basics of reading.

**"Boy, Naruto, I need to show you something. This is what is called a storage scroll."** A scroll appeared and unrolled itself. **"You may not know this but there is a kunai sealed inside the scroll."** The symbol for kunai appeared within a seal-marked circle.

**"Note the condition of the scroll. It has been torn and sloppily repaired with glue, tape and staples. It is ragged and stained, obviously poorly maintained. Water and mud marks abound, signifying it has been left in the elements before without care. The seals have been hastily and sloppily drawn.**

**"It would takes an overuse of chakra, most of which would be wasted, to even activate the seal to release the stored kunai. That's how poorly the seal has been constructed. Now, considering all this, what kind of condition would you expect the kunai to be in given the state of the storage scroll?"**

Naruto frowned in thought as his lips tried to form his thoughts, vividly portrayed behind him. He could tell that something was spoken, but was having issues with understanding some of the words. Context, however, was easily garnered. Kurama saw pitted and rusted metal, blunted edges, a stained and chipped blade and corrosion. He nodded with an internal grin.

**"I gather from your thoughts, and yes, I can see your thoughts,"** Kurama couldn't help but grin at the look of awe that remark garnered. It wasn't a pleasant grin, but Naruto didn't know that truth.

He continued, **"You would think that the kunai would be in very poor condition, yes? Even if it wasn't, that would be your thoughts, and honestly, most anyone else's first thought as well. There is a reason behind this example, Naruto.**

**"You are the scroll, while I am the kunai..."**

Anything else he might have said quickly fled as he felt the pure oppression of someone having taken one too many insults deciding enough was enough. Hastily, the Seal increasing his pain, he squeaked out, **"Not an insult!"**

The oppression lifted, somewhat, and the pain eased, which meant Kurama could breathe again. **"It was not an insult, but observation. You have been mistreated and malnourished. You have been left to fend for yourself in the wild."**

Gauging the boy's response, and steeling himself for any backlash, he forged ahead. **"I am indeed sealed within you. I am the kunai. And how others perceive you is how they will perceive me, and I do not mean those petty villagers but other beings.**

**"I shall not be seen as weak or ignorant. I shall not be the blunted and corroded kunai sealed within a damaged storage soul. If I am to be sealed inside of you, then you will be powerful in all senses. If no other will teach you, then I shall, for I will NOT be seen as weak just because you are."**

This was all bluster, for now (thanks to Kurama's promises) he was compelled to teach his new Master. He had been yoked by several humans in the past, even recently. This was the first time he had knotted his own leash, however.

He continued his rationalization, turning his gaze askance. **"Besides, the way this prison has been designed, if you die I die, so it is my own best interest to keep you alive. However, I will require you to keep your end of the bargain and restore unto me my power."**

He kept his metaphorical paws crossed, just in case, and breathed a silent sign of relief when the chains tethering his tails to his collar dissolved, yet his size didn't change. When he cleared his throat, Naruto shifted his gaze away and resumed stroking Kurama's back.

"No pet pet?" Odd as it sounded, the boy who commanded his mind space with such ease seemed to shrink upon himself, the vast room around him growing darker and claustrophobic. Fear, the boy was fearing something.

**"Do as I say and offer no complaints and I will allow you to 'pet pet'. During our teaching, you will call me Kurama-sensei and even if you disagree with me, you will show me respect. Is that understood, kitling?"**

There was a suddenly emotive child holding him, complete with bright eyes and a watery smile. The vast chamber brightened, and the ceiling, which Kurama had never seen before, was a vibrant blue with animal-shaped clouds.

He could tell the boy didn't have the words or even the images. Instead there were quick flashes of color with the occasional image of a steaming ramen bowl or the smile of an old wrinkled man smoking a pipe.

**'The boy is happy? Hrm, perhaps this won't be so bad after all. Provided I dangle enough carrots, or bowls of ramen as the case may be, before the boy, he may yet be manipulated into doing my will.'**

There was a twinge from the seal which caused him pause. **'So long as that blasted seal doesn't think I'm breaking my word, that is.'**

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After about thirty minutes were spent on correcting Naruto calling Kurama 'Kurama-shinshee', the fox allowed Naruto 'pet pet' time so the boy's mind could be examined while relatively relaxed.

It was vastly underused.

Though the fox had passing familiarity with how much brain power was actually used compared to brain mass, wistfully remembering bygone experiments which eventually drove his test subjects insane from overload, he found Naruto used even less for 'higher functions', roughly two percent.

Another five percent wasn't labeled but had all the markings of being purely survival instinct. There were some memories, though scant few could even remotely be called pleasurable and far too many blank spots for Kurama's liking.

Those spoke of brain injury at some point, and further probing revealed each to be head trauma which led to a brief black-out period. Some of the more brutal memories weren't of adults, but of children, some around Naruto's age, lynching him while their approving parents waited in the background.

From what he could tell, there was a shinobi teaching the children how to make a rope, along with useful knots for tying up a person. Naruto had been trussed, hoisted, and beaten by his peers.

Kurama was able to cross reference some of the children to a brief period of hope and wariness some days prior to each incident. The boy was far too trusting, running headlong into traps out of desperation for some sort of social contact.

Kurama blinked in his observations.

If it weren't for the absolute rarity and absurdity of the shared tint, Kurama would have written off the pink as a prank, fluke or failed fashion statement, yet there they were, three generations of pink haired females either instigating or participating in what Kurama could only surmise as attempted social climbing.

He would keep an eye out for them, since Kami knew he didn't need more blank spots after teaching the boy his letters and numbers. That would be so much wasted effort, and he would be compelled to begin instruction anew.

Being five and a half, the boy in question thinking himself younger than actual age, not to mention the lifestyle and livelihood of the boy, sorting through memories and probing issues went rather quickly. Now all that was left was optimization and possibly data dumping.

It was said that the best time to teach a person anything was prior to age ten, preferably under five. The brain was still growing during that time, and new neural pathways were much easier to construct, especially compared to adults.

Though even if bestowed with a full linguistics catalogue of every living and dead language to ever exist, Naruto would still need to develop the facial and throat muscles, as well as nasal and breathing control for each one. Writing them would mean even more training for the muscle memory and coordination each style required. Some of them had thousands of sounds; thankfully, the native tongue had but a hundred or so.*

Also, associations would need to be developed to give each word and name a meaning, or meanings if there were multiple interpretations based on context, inflection or intent. Otherwise it would be nothing but meaningless babble, a collection of guttural hoots and sibilant murmurs to some unnamed Elder God.

That all said, a data dump would at least put the information in place, and once past basal, instinctual and higher processes, there was still a large percentage of unused brain space, even considering mental backups. Might as well put it to good use.

**"Naruto, may I call you kit? A kit is a young fox, much like my current form."** There was an undercurrent of displeasure, followed by a sudden grimace of pain, all of which was missed by Naruto.

**"I only ask since you have earned my respect for the time being due to how you changed your mental space."** He got a nod from the boy, who continued stroking his fur from neck to tails, and despite the mean and tough image Kyuubi had cultivated, he had to admit that it felt pretty good.

Perhaps he could stay in this size for a while, well, if the boy allowed him any size options that is. **"Kit, I am going to help you, though it may seem painful at first. Trust in my promise to you that such is meant only for your benefit. I will be enhancing your mind.**

**"This will help to undo some of the damage your so-called tutors have implemented. Implemented means 'have done to'. I will be placing some of my own memories into your mind dealing with language, mathematics and writing, as well as some social and homemaking skills I've gleaned over the ages. Since you are living by yourself you will need to learn to do things by yourself and for yourself."**

Kurama calmed himself and steadied his voice. **"Normally, I wouldn't care nor concern myself, but it would appear that we are in this together, for better or worse. To pass the time and to prepare you to not be so weak, I will teach you and you will learn, willing or not."** He was quite unaware of the breath huff, nor the turning aside while doing so.

He paused as the bluster was absorbed. **"Before we begin though, I am curious. I understand that you are able to change your mindscape. I wonder though, can you change it to anything? For instance, can you show a safe place?"**

Kurama purposely chose the simplest of wordings so the boy could understand with the least effort. He got a nod and the vast hall became green, almost literally.

Trees which did not normally grow together did here. There were giant redwoods, oaks, pines, firs and dogwood. There was a misty bog with mangrove and cedar. There were ferns, moss and lichen covered boulders. Animal paths and trails dotted the leaf-strewn floor, highlighted by filtered and scattered light beams.

Grayish squirrels chattered on limbs, there was the flash of rabbit ears in the undergrowth; bass and redfish leapt and made concentric rings by a half-submerged root bulb. The bright blue sky held slow moving clouds, all shaped as various animals. Even though Kurama knew this was a mindscape, he could hear the veritable hum and thrum of life.

His yang, or nature part, pulsed in response.

Kurama was, quite simply, amazed. If he was not burdened with the truth and his subjective reality, he would have thought that he was back in the northern forests.

**"I am proud of you."** He let those words slip out, as an experiment.

The forest floor exploded in light and color, from sunlight dapplings in warm shades to brilliant hues on flutterbies* and dragonflies and temperate birds, the ones that Naruto had actually seen. Even the robin's head seemed more vibrant and dark green that was natural.

He smiled quietly to himself, once recomposed. He hadn't meant to say anything, but now knew that the best weapon to ensure Naruto's compliance was nothing more than simple praise. That would be a secret most guarded.

He wasn't _free_ by any stretch, but it did appear that he had more range of motion than prior. The seal which once held the mighty cage doors shut still existed in the form of the collar around his neck, complete with bell.

The vast trees which surrounded them formed the 'bars', which, by sending his senses outwards, meant the confines of this...there was no room anymore. When the cage was still here, it was large enough for Kurama to fully stand and move around, which meant the walls were at least four hundred feet high, though he had never seen the ceiling.

Now though, despite Kurama being small enough to curl up on Naruto's lap, the very scale of this place was impossible. He briefly experienced a bout of vertigo, as if he was floating upon a very deep sea.

There was also the issue of gravity: it did and did not exist here. Yes, if he jumped he would land as if he were in the actual world, but the downward forces of gravity did not prevent trees from reaching incredible heights.

When the Senju clan created the massive forests in Fire Country, where once there was naught but grassy plains, the trunks of their crafted trees were often rather wide and dense. Rarely were they higher than fifty or sixty feet. He used to tower above them.

In here, the tops, even the middle sections were hidden in the bluish distance and wisping fog.

And high, so very high above, fluffy animal clouds moved slowly across a deep blue sky, wherever the massive boles permitted.

There was a deep rumble off to the side as a slab of mossy rock buckled in the center before rising, forming a low range of rocky hills and caves that looked as if they had been here before the first sapling ever broke through the soil.

Though he had yoked himself, he could definitely think of worse places to be forced to spend time. And if this was what the boy thought of as a 'safe place', he knew of worse places as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Ch2.1: American English, being a melting pot language, has roughly 5000 distinct sounds, which makes it difficult for non-natives to learn. In contrast, Japanese has about 120. That said, Japanese has Kanji, so yeah.  
> A/N Ch2.2: Flutterby was the original name for Butterfly, and this is why penmanship is important.


	3. When Levees Fail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous chapter: Kurama, yoked by his own hubris, asks for a demonstration from his new owner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

For the following week, whether awake or sleeping, Naruto received instruction following the initial data dump and mental filing, courtesy of his new sensei. It was quickly discerned by Kurama that Naruto, despite his age and isolation, was a natural multitasker.

Granted, the boy couldn't do anything too complex, but he could go through his simple numbers on one mental thread, while using another for thought words with accompanying mental image while subconsciously spelling each one.

Those internal tasks were done while feeling for and getting a sense of his own chakra, Kurama's chakra, and the subtle blending of the two. On the outside, Naruto was learning how to tie and untie knots of basic to intermediate level.

"Der..tha tha," he quickly nodded, "tha-air, there is more tha-an, than, da tha-at, that inside." He became silent but Kurama could see the boy was working on his sentence. "There is more th-than that inside. The chakra is."

**"Very good, Naruto."** A warm wind slid through the trees. **"Remember, and this is important: to keep our secret, think your words. In private, such as now, you may speak aloud.**

**"I would urge you, however, to learn how to mentally speak. I can hear you just fine when you think your words, so just remember to use your 'inside' voice."**

"Hai, sensei." He could practically feel the boy raising his left hand to scratch behind his head, a sure sign of embarrassment.

**"Now, about this chakra, can you explain it a bit more?"**

Naruto paused while he collected his thoughts. "I feel mine, yours, ours? (mental nod) ours and then like mine but not. Different? (another nod) than mine but like. Feels like outside."

**"Outside?"**

Naruto held the length of rope in one hand absently as he brought both together in a scooping motion, like he was gathering water or leaves. "Outside."

_**'He must be sensing an elemental chakra stream. I am starting to like this child more and more, just a little.'** _

**"I understand what you mean, kit. We will look into that at a later time, once you are able to fully sense and draw upon your chakra and gain some level of control over it."**

He paused. **"As for now, it seems to be time for another lesson and I can sense several people approaching. Now don't worry, I will be here with you and will heal your wounds. Take their beatings as a lesson in pain and learn to adapt.**

**"When you become a shinobi there will be times you will be in pain. How you react to the pain can be the factor between life or death. Only a few actually bother to learn this skill before getting hurt, so in this sense, consider yourself at the front of the pack. I will ensure they do not go too far, little kit."**

Though Kurama knew there to be other possible professions for the boy, given his true lineage and ties to the current Hokage, he would become a shinobi. Gleaning the memories of being read _inspirational_ children stories by the aged ape, Naruto never had a chance at becoming anything else.

Naruto felt something out of the window and turned to see Dog-san on the opposite roof. Though the face was covered in a mask, Naruto could still sense the hate. In the time it took to slowly blink, his door was kicked in and everything went dark.

This incident was far from the first time.

When he would awake, surprisingly in his heavily forested mindscape, it would be to a rather intense fox who drilled him on everything he had learned thus far for hours, only pausing for new instruction once Kurama was satisfied there was no data loss from the blunt force trauma.

The fox really did not want to have to go over everything again. Just filling in the gaps would not do, and Kurama would be driven insane if no action was taken.

Naruto would even learn a new word when he was jolted awake, finding himself carried in a sheet like a sling between two white and blue clad people. He was unceremoniously dumped out the back door and into an alley behind a rather large building, reeking of misery.

He would develop a life-long association between the word 'hospital' and sterile white, needles and pain.

01001110 01100001 01110010 01110101 01110100 01101111

It was the end of the month, also known as Day, it being the time when Naruto would be escorted to the Hokage Tower and would spend the day getting physical and mental examinations, as well as a discrete seal scan, afterwards spending the rest of the day in the company of the Hokage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked forward to these times as Naruto was good, if quiet company, and would always listen attentively to the stories the old man would tell him of bygone village life, distant battles, and the tales of the village's own heroes.

Though it was subtle manipulation, it really wasn't intended in this case. He simply wanted to give Naruto positive impressions of the parents he would not be allowed to know. His stories of heroes were always of Minato and Kushina, though not by name.

Sarutobi himself was a rarity among shinobi, having survived more than sixty years. He was shaped by war. That said, he was also loved by most of the village. Having been their Hokage for the majority of his life, he had become adept at blending humanity and brutality in his public speeches, the Hyuuga Incident aside.

Naruto's visit was a welcome break from the drudgery of paperwork, not that Sarutobi minded all that much, it keeping him from thinking of darker things, but even he had limits.

What was testing his limits even more were the reports on his desk regarding a security detail. Those were by his left hand.

By his right hand were hospital logs, with entries describing the object of the security detail and the physical state of the subject at the time of initial observation. They were bound by dates and times, with the logs having times within the allotted shift of the security detail.

Conspicuously absent from the detail's end-of-shift (EOS) report was any mention of the hospital, even in passing, as in, 'en route, we passed by the hospital'; the word seemed almost taboo.

Following Naruto's routine checkup and their Visitation Day (Naruto would be learning the V word soon), he might have some extra work for the Office of Special Affairs (OSA), a branch of the Intelligence Division.

Speaking of Naruto, he was running uncharacteristically late.

Normally, the boy was at his door by 06:00, and here it was approaching 08:00. In a moment of whimsy, he hoped having Hatake being the leader of the security detail wasn't rubbing off on the boy.

'Dog-san' had an almost international reputation for not just being the sole non-Uchiha to possess the Sharingan (eye, not the actual bloodlimit). He had also gained the title of Copycat Kakashi for having stolen over a thousand techniques - most of which he would later place in the Shinobi Library for a fee - as well as the fact that he had graduated the Academy at age six.

The icing on the proverbial cake was that he had, as his mentor, the legendary Yellow Flash and Iwa-Bane, Namikaze Minato. That was before Minato became the Fourth Hokage and defeater of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. This was the sole reason for him being Naruto's principle guard, of that orphan brought into Minato and Kushina's family showing the same connectivity to their only child and son.

No, what Hatake was very well known for, despite his personal and professional pedigree, was his knack of showing up to any scheduled meeting at least two hours late, regardless of importance.

The reason behind this behavior eluded the aged Third Hokage, now pulling his second shift in this position. No matter, the fact remained that young Naruto was very late. He was about to summon one of his special trackers when there was a knock at the door.

Upon verbal consent, the door quickly opened and closed, shutting off the tirade of Sarutobi's latest secretary, apparently centered upon the small child on the jounin's back.

He would make a replacement request to another secretarial temporary agency in the morning, as he would be without a secretary for the rest of the day. He barely murmured a name before a large bear of a man, dressed in complete black, including a head wrap, appeared in a kneeling position.

"Your will, Hokage-sama?"

"We have a situation which needs remedy. A lawbreaker in the hallway. Female, five-three, behind a desk."

"Hai." And with that one word, the man was gone, followed shortly by an undignified squawk which was heard through the thick office door and heavily insulated walls.

"Kurenai." Again, barely a whisper.

In a graceful swirl of color - white, red and black - a red-eyed vision of beauty appeared, kneeling before the Hokage's desk. Her left arm was bare, while her right was clothed in crimson, drawing the eye. The rest was a white herringbone pattern with the peaks pointing upwards to her eyes, the same shade as her right arm.

"Your will, Hokage-sama?"

"Personal Assistant to the office of Hokage, providing both clerical and physical assistance when needed. C-rank, duration pending relief. You may begin now."

"Hai." The lady called Kurenai vanished in a swirl, but Naruto could still sense her about ten feet from the door. It was strange, this knowing where people were.

"That issue is resolved, but a puzzle still remains. Tell me Ocelot, why it is that young Naruto-kun is two hours late?"

Ocelot carefully set her charge down and placed a hand on his shoulder, studiously ignoring the flinch, as she bowed her head and body. "My apologies, Hokage-sama. Uzumaki-kun was not at the designated location, and it took longer than I anticipated to locate him. I take full responsibility for our tardiness."

"Be at ease. My own mind would be at ease if you were to explain to me why it was that Naruto-kun was not at his apartment? I have here in this report that he was at his residence for the full duration of the security detail."

He made no mention of the hospital log. Ocelot shifted a foot, uncharacteristic for a trained ANBU, while Naruto looked...he switched between guilty and embarrassed. Ocelot had her hand on his left shoulder, but his left hand twitched upwards.

"Hokage-sama, once it was determined through visual inspection and chakral detection that Uzumaki-kun was absent, I quickly called in a favor in one Mitarashi-san, and with her summons we easily picked up the trail.

"It led first to his apartment, then to other apartments within the complex, all vacant, then to the hospital's front entry, followed by its alley exits, and from there it got confusing. There were too many recent scents.

"We both kept moving until we picked up his trail again. We found him at the Memorial Stone by the Bridge of Falling Blossoms. I humbly submit to your will and do ask, unbidden, that Mitarashi-san's willingness, dedication and care be duly noted."

"Again, be at ease, and a job well done. Both records will be updated with a completion of an A-ranked Search and Rescue operation and paid accordingly."

Though her face was covered due to Naruto's attendance, Sarutobi knew from her body language that she was surprised. Bow of respect forgotten, her head snapped up.

He paused in brief thought. "All the other units were vacant, you said?" Ocelot gave a firm nod. He filed that thought away for later.

"Had he been kidnapped or been either driven or led to a pickup location, he would be gone to us. Instead of reporting that he could not be found, you went the extra mile to find him, even calling in personal favors to ensure the mission's completion."

He oriented on her charge. "And yes, Naruto-kun you are that important both to me and this village, though it doesn't treat you nearly as well as it should."

01001110 01100001 01110010 01110101 01110100 01101111

At that simple proclamation, Kurama witnessed a patch of trees and undergrowth rapidly sink into the ground within Naruto's mindscape, creating a round field two acres in size. The sound had been deafening.

Quicker than thought, flowers of all colors burst through the soil in a veritable rainbow of hues. The fragrance was almost overwhelming, but not offensively so, just rather sudden. Almost as quickly, several swarms of bees descended, adding their own unique hum to the symphony of life.

This was all from simple acknowledgement.

Kurama knew there were multiple ways to harness such power for his own devices, but none thus far which would not set off the seal. It had gotten to where Kurama even had to think very carefully to avoid oath-bound backlash.

Muscles spasmed, and patches of fur were slowly regrowing, the damage caused by the seal activating. His only solace was that there were no witnesses as he struggled through his thoughts.

01001110 01100001 01110010 01110101 01110100 01101111

Naruto was enjoying a bowl of delivered ramen with his Ojii-san thinking about his day. By comparison, it had been busy, and wasn't even half over.

There had been lessons, warning, Dog-san's invisible glare, ambush, mental review, alley dumping behind the hospital, and then getting chased by a group who seemed to have been waiting for him.

How else could one explain the strong scents of coffee and glazed donuts in an alley of all places?

That had led to a chase of sorts. Not really even that, now that he thought about it. Despite the mob members being older, taller and faster than his own underfed five year old self, he was never overtaken or tackled. It was almost like he was being herded, a tactic (new word) he learned from Kurama-sensei's 'data dump'.

Once he reached the Memorial Stone, he was alone, his pursuers having seemingly vanished. He understood, on a gut level, that many of the markings on the plinth were names of those killed during the Kyuubi incident, but he didn't have the skill yet to actually read them.

Kurama-sensei had promised that he would be learning very soon, once he got down some more math tables and improved his speech a bit more. Despite all that, he knew what this stone represented. He could feel the sorrow, sense of loss, confusion and outright anger, almost as if the stone and surrounding ground had been soaked in a cocktail of each.

It was an unhappy place.

Speaking of unhappy, the one he knew of as Dog-san had been rapidly approaching his location with something like anger, but not. It was mixed with something else. Before he could arrive though, two female shinobi landed almost silently behind him. Their sudden arrival almost caused him to have an accident.

The darker of the two was wearing a mask of brown and gray swirls, each side of the mask an almost perfect mirror of the other. To her side was an unmasked, purplish-black haired late-teenager wearing what looked to be a tan overcoat over a mesh shirt and orange skirt.

"About time we found you, gaki!" said the teen with something like a grin, smile or smirk all at the same time. It was difficult to explain.

"I am Ocelot, and this is Mitarashi-san. We have been looking for you Naruto-kun. Did you forget that this is Visitation Day? You are almost two hours late."

That being said, Naruto flinched, both from the message and from the sudden hand on his shoulder, and there was a blur and slight disorientation, almost like one would get from staring up at the sky while spinning in circles, and then they were at the front entrance to the Hokage Tower.

The trip was so short, he didn't even have time to voice his surprise.

The guards nodded at Ocelot, but their eyes never dropped below her shoulders, where a blond head might be. The same behavior occurred at the primary check-in desk, causing the teen to muttered something about 'skanky rude secretari-asses' to which Ocelot chuckled.

She bid her friend a good day, then pulled him upwards. Though the act of someone touching him always made him a bit nervous, Ocelot was his favorite guard. Whenever she pulled him up, that meant wall running, and he was never disappointed.

Most of the hallways in the Hokage Tower, especially the public ones, had high and vaulted ceilings, some in the main entrance reaching thirty feet. Exterior halls also sported ten foot windows, each set within a benched alcove.

This meant plenty of overhead room which was normally occupied by banners, flags and oversized portraits of local and national figures of note, with the temporary addition of an ANBU toting a skinny blond child while running upside down through the halls on Visitation Day.

She had stayed by his side all through the examinations, only leaving when it came time for lunch. Before she left, however, she crouched down to be on eye level with Naruto and whispered for him to behave himself for the Hokage, for his actions would reflect on her.

His eyes had widened, since that was almost exactly what Kurama-sensei had said. He gave a short nod, and could have sworn he saw the Hokage smile, as if he heard what Ocelot said.

Sarutobi had heard every word. If he felt like it, he could hear an ant fart across a field one moment, then make it crap itself the next. Despite his age, he was still considered the God of Shinobis.

All that had led up to the now, with Jijii and himself eating take-out from Ichiraku's Ramen Stand, Naruto's most favorite eatery. The fact that it was his only allowed eatery went unsaid.

Despite all the surprises Naruto had experienced so far, it was time for Sarutobi to have a few as well.

It all started innocently enough.

"So how have you been, Naruto-kun? I trust you've been staying out of trouble?" Now, normally, Naruto would smile sheepishly and nod, but remain silent.

"I've be, being," he paused and nodded, "been good. I try to stay out of trouble, but trouble won't stay out of me. Huh? Oh, I mean away from me."

Had Naruto been looking at Sarutobi, he would have seen the old man's head snap up. Not only were those the first words the Hokage had heard from the boy, not only were they used in a comprehensible sentence, but the boy had paused, corrected himself, asked himself a question and then corrected the syntax of a statement.

People talking to themselves were normal in some instances. This was not normally true when talking to the leader of a ninja village, especially not when the one talking had a demon sealed inside them. This behavior made the listener, especially if the listener was the leader of a ninja village which had been attacked by said demon, exceptionally nervous.

All this was quite besides the fact that Sarutobi had enlisted several tutors for Naruto when it was determined that the orphanages were collectively doing their utmost to ensure the boy was dumb and mute.

Two years, two years of tutelage and nothing, not one single word.

Sarutobi had been puzzling over all the reports which had painted Naruto as a combative and very unwilling student, little more than a beast who grunted and expected praise for soiling himself. He made a mental note pass those records over to Ibiki.

He knew the head of the Torture and Interrogation Department within the Office of Special Affairs would be able to glean much more from the logs and personal interviews with the tutors than Sarutobi ever could.

It was around this time that things went bad in a hurry.

Sarutobi was no stranger to making mistakes and in all honesty, he should have known the reaction. Emotions, like love and hate, can blind oneself, and though Sarutobi loved Naruto, almost like a grandson, he loved the village more and was so blinded by his emotions.

His voice, tight with worry asked, "Naruto-kun, with whom did you speak just now?"

The boy became unnaturally still, before his head, independent of the rest of his body, turned towards the Hokage. His eyes were a bit too bright and his skin a tad too pale and waxen. Naruto's mouth opened and closed, struggling for words, while his small hands, so thin, clenched spastically.

Sarutobi smelt fear, and then the levee broke.


	4. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous chapter: Pain lessons and introduction of Ocelot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

Sarutobi had half risen out of his seat, with full intentions on comforting the distraught child, when Naruto made a thin keening sound, eyes wide in fear.

A sense of dread formed in his mind, as the boy's fear became a palpable thing. When a sudden gust of wind blew his paperwork about, the bottom fell out of his stomach. No, it wasn't wind, but Naruto's chakra, leaving Sarutobi straining to detect any trace of taint, contingencies forming in his mind.

The thin child was still hunkered down in a guarded crouch, a cleared ring around him from the sudden and potent chakra spike. Sarutobi really hoped part of the fear came from accessing his reserves for the first time, as it could be a shock, and not something tenant-based.

The Hokage flicked his eyes over to the door when it opened, showing the concerned face of Kurenai, having felt the strange energy from her station.

"Hokage-sama?"

"Get me the following: Ibiki, Bear, Ocelot, Hayate and Anko. I want all of you in my office within three minutes." In Naruto's current state, he did not want him further surprised by summoned shinobis 'instantly appearing' courtesy of body flickers.

"Be sure to tell them no Shunshins. I want all of them to enter through that door. You have your orders."

When the door clicked shut, his eyes shifted back over to Naruto, who still hadn't moved. Sarutobi made to move towards him, stopping short when the boy blurred.

One of Naruto's tutors was crouching where Naruto had been just a moment prior. Before the question could even be framed, there was another blur and in place of the tutor was one of the village's own grocers.

Next came a masked ANBU who Sarutobi couldn't identify, followed by a child with short brown hair and blue sweatbands. Within moments, individual features could not be discerned as one person morphed into the next and next and next.

The only thing Sarutobi could think of was a seamless series of transformational techniques, one after another without a single hitch or handsign. It was just an anthropomorphic blur which rose and fell, changing in height, width and coloring.

The only constant throughout the strange parade were the eyes: they never changed. They each held coldness, anger and rage, over and over again.

Sarutobi's eyebrows climbed towards his receding hairline as the voices began, all centered on the shifting form in front of him. He knew Naruto had to be in there somewhere, and was furiously thinking of how to extract the boy.

It was a litany of epithets and profanities in varied adult pitches, sprinkled with youthful tenor contributing tamer, but just as hurtful labels. The word 'Demon' was a common term, which only served to deepen Sarutobi's frown.

Only a few seconds had actually passed, but he was stilled by a single epiphany: Naruto was showing him a catalogue of abusers, one person after another. Hiruzen had a good eye, and keener memory.

The problem was, he didn't know how to make Naruto stop. It was then that Sarutobi felt his own heart lurch within his chest when the blur of people halted on a crouched faceless Uchiha, the activated Sharingan the only facial feature, who began flipping through the handsigns for a very potent fire technique.

Sarutobi barely even blinked as his body propelled itself over the desk, catching the very solid man-sized hands of the faceless Uchiha before he could finish the seals. With a long-practiced maneuver, the hands were separated, one of which was twisted behind the figure with a chackra-laiden fist en route to rattle and stun the brain.

The punch quickly became a very panicked, unpowered, open hand slap upside the boy's head, when the faceless Uchiha became a frightened five year old Naruto.

The sound echoed loudly as the office door swung open. In the ensuing and shocked silence, everyone heard the confused question.

"Jijii?"

"I am sorry, Naruto, but I really didn't know what else to do to snap you out of it. Something happened, and I'm very sorry for hurting you."

Naruto's frightened eyes flicked over to the crowd of people who had made their way into the office.

"Naruto, these are good people who, hopefully, can help us understand just what happened, okay?" He got a shaky nod.

"Hayate, guard the door. If anyone, and I mean anyone tries to force their way through, I want you to turn them into very small pieces. This is not a request."

Hayate's eyes had been resting on Naruto, giving no clue of the inner thoughts. At Sarutobi's order, they widened slightly, and with a silent nod, he slipped back through the door. It closed behind him with a click.

"Ibiki, sweep and seal the room. Anko, secure the windows. Do you know of any 'friendly' Yamanakas, Ibiki?" At the negative, he sighed and shook his head.

"Then we'll have to do this the hard way. Now, Naruto, do you remember Ocelot?" At his nod, Sarutobi motioned her to come close and to remove her mask.

Naruto was instantly enthralled, this being the first time he had actually seen her face.

Ocelot, that being both her real and code name, was in her young twenties, with a heart-shaped face framed by pale streaked brown hair. Her skin was an exotic dusky olive, revealing her Kumo heritage, but the feature which snagged the boy's complete attention were her blue and green mismatched eyes.

"Have you been good, Naruto-kun? Perhaps if Hokage-sama allows it, we can do some more wall running later on. Would you like that?" Her tone was pitched in Hostage Retrieval 4, warm, with open body language to instill trust.

She got a slow and steady nod at that as she crouched down by him, his eyes never leaving her own. She was there for moral support and Naruto's peace of mind.

"Kurenai, stand by for any medical treatments. You'll find a full field medical kit in the supply closet next to the second brown filing cabinet. Bear, I need you ready just in case anything gets weirder than normal. I expect you to show full restraint and Naruto is not to be harmed under any circumstances."

He began going through a long chain of seals, pausing near the end to call Naruto's name softly. When Naruto looked away from Ocelot to face the Hokage, Sarutobi finished the final seal and touched Naruto's forehead with his index finger.

Sarutobi found himself in an unexpected place.

01001110 01100001 01110010 01110101 01110100 01101111

Of all the things he was expecting, an ancient forest was not one of them. But here he and it was, the trunks of the massive trees larger than any he had seen in his long life. They rose impossibly high, their tops lost in the mist.

"Jijii?"

He quickly turned his head to find a very confused looking Naruto, head cocked to the side as he sat on a rock.

"Ah, Naruto-kun. I was hoping I would see you here. I do apologize for this, but we both needed some answers as to what happened in the office, yes?" He got an uncertain nod. "Yes, now, would you happen to know where we are, exactly?"

**"His mind, _meatbag_."**

Whipping his head around, Sarutobi saw a young fox step out of the undergrowth. The small body was followed by...nine tails! Had something happened to the Seal?

The fox seemed to sense his distress and panic, not to mention the loud crack of the man's neck. Derisive laughter echoed through the trees, followed by an intense silence.

The cause of that was a low-pitched growl from where Naruto had been. Fearing what it could be, Sarutobi turned back to see Naruto as Naruto, only with an uncharacteristic scowl on his face as he stared at the fox.

"Kurama-sensei! You be nice to Hokage-jijii. He," Naruto paused to think for a moment. "He special person! So you be nice or me, I get angry."

_'He calls the fox sensei?!'_ Sarutobi could have sworn that dark clouds scuttled against the veiled sky.

"Jijii, don't worry. He safe, see? Collar and bell so I know where Kurama-sensei is."

"Naruto-kun," began Sarutobi, his voice thick with rising concern, "where is the Cage?"

A snort to his left brought his attention back to the fox. **"This is the cage, you hairless ape."**

"Kurama-sensei!"

It looked as if the fox was struggling with something, as his jaw flexed several times before his eyes flickered red. But before Sarutobi could begin to speculate, an otherwise unnoticed seal on the fox's forehead pulsed a bright crimson.

The recoil was instant, as it had been physical stung or shocked. That and Naruto's relative unconcern about both his surroundings and company helped to put Sarutobi at ease. He knew how twitchy the boy could be.

After a long moment, as the creature recovered from whatever had injured it, the fox muttered out, **"Fine."** Sarutobi saw wisping smoke arise from the demon's fur.

**"I am Kurama, or Kurama-sensei to Naruto-sama. Despite my vastly reduced state, I am _still_ the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Nine Tailed Demon Lord and God of Foxes and Vulpines. And just so you can sleep better at night, yes, I am still sealed."**

"How?"

**"How? I tried to escape, that's how!"** At Sarutobi's shocked expression, he continued. **"I went the mental route instead of torture and tried to snap his mind with an image of what he most wanted being ashamed of him.**

**"It backfired. The next thing I know, I shrink from three hundred feet to eight inches, on my back and completely restrained. I was collared, leashed and chained. Naruto-sama had a hand around my throat and was a little bit angry.**

**"To save my skin, we made a deal."** Kurama could still feel the boy's hand around throat and feet, the images vibrant behind of intent.

At the splutter of outrage, he continued. **" _Yes_ ,"** he purred, drawing out the word, **"I promised him vengeance upon those who mistreat him as he builds a throne from their children's skulls."**

That admission created both a large chakra spike and a healthy dose of killing intent.

**"Don't get your fundoshi in a bind, old man. I basically promised to 'be good' for the time being, so you can relax. Or do I need to remind you that you are currently in a young boy's head. The damage you do in here could be permanent...that is if he lets you do anything."**

"What do you mean by that and what is with being called sensei? What have you been teaching the boy?" Sarutobi's tone was justifiably angry.

Kurama waved a paw dismissively, not concerned in the least. **"Do you really want to know how all this came into being?**

**"One sentence."** He kept the part about praise to himself. **"I asked him to show me a 'safe place', as he had demonstrated a significant level of mental control by the spatial manipulations he had forced me through. All of _this_ from that."**

He paused to let that sink in, as he adjusted to a more comfortable position.

**"As for _teaching_ him,"** Sarutobi could feel the sneer, **"I teach what your foolish villagers won't. Not two weeks ago, he knew maybe, at most, ten words. Four of those were obscenities. Now listen to him. He can add and subtract simple equations up to four digits in his head and has been learning multiplication tables. Naruto, eleven times twelve!"**

"One three two." The response was almost instant.

**"Could your vaunted tutors do that? He started those tables yes-ter-day. Tomorrow is division and basic fractions. Within a few days, his word associations should be high enough for reading and writing.**

**"I teach him to use his mind, which is more than what I could say about _you_.**

**"Do not be confused, none of this is out of the goodness of my heart. As I stated earlier, deals were made and I am only upholding my end."**

"And his end? What does Naruto-kun have to do for you?" Sarutobi was equally shaken and ashamed, though part of him still resisted the demon's words.

Kurama frowned, feeling Naruto's eyes on him. **"He lets me live."**

He shook himself as he looked away, hating having to give that admission, but was forced to all the same. Taking a few breaths, Kurama calmed himself before the Seal could activate again.

**"This leads to why you are here. To be honest, I was just as surprised as you and can only surmise it was a base instinctual reaction meant to confuse an attacker. Without a kitsune's power to shapeshift, I highly doubt he would have reacted in quite the same way.**

**"I doubt this will happen again, since the trigger seems to have been a state of full Fight or Flight, and he could do neither since the assumed aggressor was you. So he went with Option C to confuse his attacker, as it were.**

**"Be thankful the boy thinks so highly of you."** The look given to Sarutobi was significant.

**"Naruto, history lesson. Tell your Hokage why I am here."**

"Hai, start with Snake Man." Sarutobi visibly started at the reference. At his questioning look, Naruto gave a half-shrug before elaborating.

"Anko-san smell of snake but only move like one. Snake Man smell like one, move like one, look like one, eat like one, sound like one, live like one. Snake Man make, he upset things?" A nod from Kurama. "Upset life and death force. Kurama-sensei search.."

"Investigate. It means to examine, study or seek out."

Sarutobi was offended that the Kyuubi Attack could be called a demonic investigation gone awry. That feeling faded as he watched the boy mouth the word several times, even hearing it on the wind. _'There's wind here?'_

All the while, the fox's arrogant stare never left Sarutobi's face. There was pride there, despite what the fox said, pride in his student. Sarutobi felt very old at that moment, self recrimination increasing.

"Kurama-sensei investigate him-ball-lance?"

**"Imbalance, or uneven, lopsided, skewed."**

The word was sampled. "Imbalance and find Snake Man's smell, here find. Next thing Kurama-sensei know, he being attacked, there giant frog, toad, Death God come and then pain before he woke up in me."

**"What's the difference between natural and elemental energy?"** Again the fox kept his gaze on the old man's incredulous face.

"Natural in all living things, like bugs, grass, me. Elemental is dead things, since they are not really living things but states of being?" Another nod. "Bijuu are balance, made of both."

Sarutobi was both stunned and amazed. Prior to today, he had never once heard the boy speak a single word. Though the sentences were short and a bit choppy, not only was the boy understandable, but he was also able to impart a fairly complex theory.

The real kicker, which definitely made him feel his age, was the notion that Orochimaru, one of his greatest failings, was behind the 'attack' which apparently never should have happened. But did, costing so very much. And apparently, Naruto knew about Ky...Kurama-sama.

That would be a conversation Sarutobi would have rather avoided until later. As it stood, even his headache had a headache.

Little did he know that Orochimaru had actually been in the village during that time, intent on kidnapping a very pregnant Uzumaki Kushina, Minato's secret wife. What he intended could have been anything from abdication or worse. The serpentine traitor knew of one place that would pay rather handsomely for the Son of Iwa Bane.

As it turned out, she was at the one place he never looked: outside the walls battling Kyuubi. That was also where she died after giving birth in an impromptu field hospital, not ten feet from where Leaf nins were fighting.

Despite having just given birth, she still led a final distraction charge to give her husband enough time to finish the jutsus. To summon the Death God took a fiendishly long chain of handseals.

As her consciousness faded, she assumed her son was safe, the village assumed Minato's son was dead, and only two living people knew the truth.

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Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in his nicely appointed study in the Hokage Mansion, working on a pot of green tea while the object of his thoughts slept not ten feet away on a leather couch.

In short, this had been a Day. It was not a Visitation Day, but a _Day_. It was literally one thing after another, starting with report discrepancies and ending with a very tired and distraught five year old looking very small as he was curled in a fetal ball on the couch.

After he became aware of being back in his office it was to find both himself and Naruto wearing finger cuffs on their right index, a light mask over their mouth and nose, and wired pads on each temple.

All the lines led back to two devices, over which Kurenai hovered with a clipboard and stopwatch, seemingly oblivious to all else. She gave quite a start when Sarutobi cleared his throat. Before she could explain, Ibiki spoke up.

"Biorhythm, blood and lung pressure, perspiration detection and beta waves. We use this setup often during debriefs, especially for problem cases, since it gives a pretty good indication if something mental has happened, like shock, hypnotic suggestion or a really nasty genjutsu. May not give specifics, but it's a good starting point. Not to mention it would give us a heads up if the person we sent in wasn't the same one we got back."

"You did good, Kurenai. How long?"

"Just over three minutes."

Sarutobi started at this. He could have sworn he was there for at least an hour, if not more, all the while being shamed by Another teaching what his own village refused. "Naruto, do you know anything about this?"

The boy wilted under the sudden attention and flinched when Ocelot touched his shoulder. "Um..Aka..Kurama-sensei, before you came, Kurama-sensei axt, asked if I could change time like I did with the cage."

That admission made all heads but two snap up, to which the Hokage gave a silent gesture clearly meaning 'later'.

"Do not worry, Naruto-kun, no one here is angry with you. We're just surprised is all, something it seems we have been rather often as of late. Ocelot-san, I believe you mentioned something about taking Naruto-kun for...'wall running', was it?"

"Would you like to come with me, Naruto-kun?" At his slow nod, she turned her back to him as she replaced her ANBU mask. "Then climb on up and we'll get going. By your leave, Hokage-sama."

At his nod, and after Naruto had climbed on her back, Ocelot had Hayate report back to the Hokage and left with Naruto to run the walls.

"Suffice to say, all that has transpired here is SS village secret, the revealer of such guilty of treason and will be punished accordingly."

He moved back to his desk, frowning at his discarded pipe. With careful motions, he emptied and refilled the bowl as he spoke.

"Kurama-sensei is Naruto's tenant, and though that sounds rather alarming, let me put your minds at ease. In his own words, he tried to escape not too long ago, the consequence of such leading him to be demoniacally oathbound to young Naruto. He seems determined to teach Naruto, though I am uncertain of his full motives."

Sarutobi paused as the bowl was lit, taking a few puffs from his pipe to soothe himself. "Towards this end, I will be enrolling him for the beginning of a new academy year this fall."

"Isn't he a bit young for the Academy? He looks to be no older than three or four."

"Not at all, Bear. He's actually going on six." Pondering his next words, he continued, "I was made to feel personal shame for the lack of that boy's education. Those words you heard were the among the first he has ever spoken. Two weeks ago, he could barely grunt."

He shook his head to their gobsmacked expressions. "I will not have that demon be his sole tutor, one which cannot be monitored. Speaking of which, Ibiki, here is a file with the tutors I had assigned Naruto for the past three years. Next week, I want to know why a demon fox could do what they could not."

He stood, turning towards the view overlooking Konoha. "In the wake of the attack and the subsequent rebuilding, I had entrusted his care to the orphanages. That turned out to be a grave mistake, one which you, Anko, along with Ocelot will help remedy.

"And no, that does not mean reprisals against the orphanages. What's done is done, and so long as Naruto bears no ill will towards them, I would like to keep it that way.

"Watch his sleep, assist his learning, fix his diet and keep him safe. If you have need, you and Ocelot can bring in a third person to help carry the load.

"I thank all of you for coming and assisting. You are dismissed. Anko, please stay behind, and Kurenai, if you could resume your prior duty, that would be most helpful."

Bowing low to their Hokage, the occupants flickered away except for Kurenai, who repacked the field kit and stored it before resuming her secretarial duties, and Anko, who stood at attention before the Hokage's desk.

Sarutobi turned back around and took a seat behind his desk, catching Anko's disgruntled expression. "If you have something to say, you may speak freely."

"Um, Hokage-sama, no disrespect intended," began Anko, wasting no time, "but is this a demotion for not getting him here on time? To be pulled off missions and turned into nannies, I mean, we did find him and all that, so why are we getting D rank babysitting?"

Sarutobi set down his pipe, giving Anko his full attention. "Anko, this is of far greater importance than mere babysitting. As you might have gleaned, he is aware of his prisoner. Also, I'm beginning to think his treatment may have been worse than reported.

"Though it is a touchy subject, you do have experience in dealing with prejudice and anger management, and Ocelot is a soothing influence." He made note of her clenched fists at her side.

"The other side of this assignment is investigating some things for me. There seems to be a few discrepancies between last night's security detail report on Uzumaki Naruto, and the night logs of the main hospital. I would like you to utilize your summons to give me a 'day in the life', if you would.

"Catalogue and report all scents around and in Naruto-kun's apartment. Your summons will be duly rewarded with select living grain and grass fed field rats and mice from the Special Liaison Office, payable daily. I'm assuming you'll be using Mamba-san?"

He got surprised nod, and noted her fists had unclenched. "Very well then. If you choose another or additional summons, please inform the Duty Officer for extra payments. Just be sure to keep the logs updated. You are dismissed."

Taking the folder, she bowed low and made for the door, happy that Sarutobi hadn't gotten upset at her complaint. Opening it revealed Ocelot carrying a sleeping Naruto.

"Back so soon?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama. Naruto-kun is a bit tired from this afternoon and the walk walking."

"You mean wall _running_ , yes?"

Ocelot suddenly seemed a bit embarrassed and shifted her left foot. "Actually, wall walking, Hokage-sama."

Anko was still standing with her hand on the doorknob looking at her friend in shock as Sarutobi coughed in his hand. "And you thought that was a good idea? I believe he only just unlocked his chakra this afternoon."

"My apologies, Hokage-sama. We had started wall running when Naruto-kun mentioned a game he had seen before but never got to try. He wanted to play tag, but not on the hallway floors, as he didn't want to anger anyone by bumping into them. So he asked me if I could teach him to stand on walls.

"Finally hearing his voice and those pleading eyes, I found it very hard to say no." She began shifting her other foot. "He's a surprisingly quick study though.

"He can't walk on walls by any stretch, but he can hold himself vertical for a few seconds. If he places his feet then tenses his body, he's in a vertical start position a few inches off the ground. The moment he shifts a foot though, he loses all contact.

"But even that much, especially if he just unlocked his potential..." The pride she felt was evident, though her voice faded as she reoriented on her Hokage and coughed into her fist.

"I see. Place him on the couch, I'll take care of him tonight. Anko will brief you on your new mission, once she actually moves through the door. You are both dismissed."

Anko started guiltily and they both bowed before leaving his office. Sarutobi ensured the boy was comfortable before heading back to his desk. Paperwork waited for no man, and he had a sinking feeling that the child was going to generate enough to cover the whole of Konoha to the depth of several feet.

Once alone, except for the slumbering child, he found his eyes drawn to the couch. Kurama's words had stung along with that prideful and smug expression. Despite it being a fox, the message had been very clear.

_**'I did this. Not you, not your village, but** _ **me** _**.'** _

Finding his concentration fleeting, he organized his desk, then dismissed Kurenai. Once done, he carefully hefted the sleeping boy and flickered to his home.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he pressed a small call button and spoke one word. "Ana."

Within moments, the door opened a crack and a woman in her thirties poked her head through. "Hai, Hokage-sama?"

"If you would be so kind, would you fetch for me a warm blanket and pillow? I believe we have spares in the guest supply closets."

"Hai." It was then that she noticed the boy on the couch, her eyes hardening just enough to be noticed.

"Ana, is there a problem?"

"No, Hokage-sama, there is no problem. Allow to gather that which you requested."

"A moment of indulgence, if you would, dear Ana. What is your opinion of the small boy on the couch?"

"I have no opinion, Hokage-sama. I only desire to serve the Sarutobi clan." She kept her gaze down with a passive expression.

"The political answer then. Fear not, Ana. I would never dream of firing you, as you have been a loyal member of the staff for many years. You may speak freely if you desire."

There was a brief look of internal struggle. "Why?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Why?" Her eyes flickered upwards briefly, showing her anger.

"Why what, Ana?"

"Why do you let it live?"

Now Sarutobi's eyes hardened. "Ana, though I will not fire you for that, in keeping with my word, do I need to teach you the difference between a kunai in the hand and the kunai in the scroll? Do you require a practical lesson?"

Her eyes widened at the implication, shaking her head. "No Hokage-sama! I am your servant above all else. Forgive my foolishness!"

"I'm not the one wronged. Did you know Minato was an orphan?"

The non sequitur threw Ana off guard. "Um...no?"

"It's true. An orphan became Hokage. He was a genius, Minato was, especially when it came to seals. He was a master at making seals, such as the one which holds this captive bound." Aside from Ana, Sarutobi now had two other listeners, having half of Naruto's drowsy attention and all of Kurama's.

"But, without him here, there's no telling what would happen if Naruto was to die, or if his seal was damaged." This got Naruto's full attention, though he gave no indication of being awake. He had plenty of practice in 'playing possum'.

"The demon could die, the demon could take over, the demon could escape, or Naruto could prove immortal. Nobody knows and because of our hubris, the one person with the answers is locked in the Death God's belly for eternity. Minato will stay there until a soul of greater value is willingly sacrificed on his behalf, and you'd be hard pressed to find one.

"I consider every villager as part of my family, though just under my own. They get a bit more preferential treatment. But among the village family, Minato was first among equals."

He paused, lost in memory. "Who do I kid, he was First Son and I miss him dearly.

"He spoke his first words today." He nodded fondly towards Naruto, catching her surprised expression. "No, it's true, and not just his first words, but first sentences. He's going on six years of age. How old were you?"

"Me, Hokage-sama?" A nod. "Under a year of age, Hokage-sama."

"What kind of reaction did that receive?"

"My parents were very proud, Hokage-sama."

"Did you know Naruto is an orphan?"

Her head snapped up at that, unable to miss the near parallel to an earlier question.

"He's a hero, just as the Fourth Hokage wanted him seen. With every breath, he keeps his prisoner captive."

"Hokage-sama?"

"Which would you prefer, Ana? Would you rather have a three hundred foot high fox? He was monstrous, with one hundred foot long tails, the nine of them seeming to act independent of each other, each of them made of the embodiment of fire.

"The heat was so intense that it melted high grade kunais within fifteen feet. Molten slag was hurled back at our defenders. Is that what you would prefer?"

Kurama was rigid with attention and more than a bit prideful. _**'I was a sight to behold, not to mention downright smexy.'**_

Outside of Naruto's mindspace, the boy was struck silent while Ana curled up on herself in fright.

"No! Um...no, Hokage-sama. It's just, it's just that he looks so much like him, almost like he's mocking us."

"It's no mockery, Ana."

She spluttered, "Wh-what? But...but he's dead!"

"Warm blanket and pillow, or have you forgotten that we have a guest?"

"Ha-hai, Ho-hokage-sama!"

After she had left, one weary Sarutobi turned to the 'sleeping' Naruto. "We will discuss this later, young one. It would not be good for certain parties both inside and outside the village to learn who you really are before you can defend yourself. I only hope you can both understand and forgive an old fool for trying to do what's best for everyone."

To that he got a slight nod and faint "Hai, Hokage-jijii."

"Tell you what, Naruto. Since we did not have that great of a Day today, we will try again in seven days. This should give time to clear my schedule for you. How does that sound?"

If Sarutobi thought Naruto's smile lit the room, it had nothing on the mindscape. Not only was the moon full enough to read by, but pale moonflowers waved in the cool breeze as wolves - Kurama was fairly sure there weren't any here before - paid their homage to the lunar Goddess.

"As I considered Minato the First Son among equals, so are you my First Grandson." It was during this statement that Ana reentered the study. It wasn't that she was fast, but she did know the secret of delegation.

"I brought what you requested, Hokage-sama, and I do apologize for my earlier impertinence. If it permissible, I will stay with Naruto-kun while you reflect on your day."

The only indication of surprise was a single raised eyebrow. "Thank you for that, Ana, and you seem to have foreseen my task, for I do have much to ponder. We have been some time without a Matron; perhaps the time has come to fill that vacancy."

She bowed low at the waist before pouring him a fresh cup of tea. After her duty here, she would visit the family shrine again, the one for the staff. Matron Tsumi had died trying to protect Biwako-sama, Hiruzen-sama's wife of forty years, from falling debris. On the night Kyuubi came, neither survived.

As he packed his pipe, she made her way over to the couch after draping the blanket over the boy and placing the pillow close enough to his head for him to grab it if he chose. She then sat at the far end of the couch before becoming somewhat enthralled with the silken blond locks of the Kyuubi container.

Minato, even when spoken for, was such a heart-throb, and to see this boy who looked so much like Minato-sama, it hurt, even after these five years. It was like the boy was a tacit reminder of what they had lost, not just in the person, but in the promise of what might have been had any of that family survived.

Barely conscious of her hands, so lost in thought, they made three abortive attempts to touch his hair. When she actually touched his hair, he recoiled, even as he was nodding off. Her hand had jerked away as if it had been slapped.

Reaching out again, she touched the blond tips and kept her fingers still during and after the spasm. To have such a strong reaction to a simple touch, the rejection of human contact, it made her feel very ashamed and more than a bit guilty. Her earlier words echoed in her head.

_'How much did he hear?'_

It wasn't long, however, before she was running her fingers through his unruly hair slowly. Thirty minutes later, Naruto's arms were around her waist, his head in her lap, and the rest of him was dead to the world. Naruto would later call this singularity The Best Sleep Ever.


	5. Start of a Long Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous chapter: Conversations between Sarutobi and Kurama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.
> 
> Former chapter title: Little Carrot, Lot of Stick

It was early morning as Sarutobi walked through the Tower halls. He stopped outside of his office, and slightly turned his head to the standing woman behind the desk with her head bowed.

"Good morning, Hokage-sama. I am Yoshinibi, your new assistant."

"Pleasure to meet you, Yoshinibi-san. I trust you are familiar with your duties and responsibilities?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama. Please treat me well."

He nodded. "There may be occasions when a blond child is brought in to see me. Will this be a problem for you?"

She gave a slight start, but kept her eyes trained on the floor. "No, Hokage-sama."

"I will hold you to that. You may be seated, Yoshinibi-san. I have need of a runner." He noted with satisfaction that her hands were already poised for notation.

"Have this runner head to the Memorial Stone, where I assume Hatake Kakashi to be visiting. The runner will inform Captain Hatake that he is three hours late for a meeting today which was scheduled two days ago. If he does not immediately move, the runner is to mention that had Captain Hatake shown up at that earlier meeting, then the Hokage would not be slowly drinking tea with a scowl. Do you have all that?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Good. Have the runner dispatched immediately and send in Captain Hatake once he arrives."

"Immediately, Hokage-sama. Preference, Hokage-sama?"

He paused with his hand on the office door and glanced back with a slight smile. "Green tea will be fine, Yoshinibi-san. Carry on." Going inside the office, he moved behind the desk where he saw several reports, one especially catching his attention.

"Ah, Mitarashi-san's 'day in the life'. How went your night, Naruto?"

Before long, his visage shifted from amiable to dangerous. "I see. In room ANBU, Captain Hatake is en route. Should he do anything, and I mean _anything_ to show the least bit of aggression, seal him immediately and have him transported to Interrogation. Is that understood? You may speak."

There were three disembodied "Hai"'s.

As he pulled out Hatake's EOS report and the hospital log, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Enter."

"Your tea, Hokage-sama."

"Ah, splendid. Allow me to clear a space for you. While with Captain Hatake, please hold all messages and reschedule any overrun appointments."

"Hai, Hokage-sama. By your leave."

With a nod, he was once again alone, aside from the hidden security detail. Fifteen minutes later there was a knock and the door opened, revealing a tall, lanky man with a shock of gray hair standing up at an angle. On his belt was a dog-shaped ANBU mask, in red.

"You called, Hokage-sama?"

"I have and at ease. This shouldn't take too long."

Hatake nodded and slipped into a slightly slouched standing position, a touch north of disrespectful.

"I have read some troubling reports of late, Captain, and I was wondering if you could grant some insight. It has been a long time since I was part of ANBU, Captain. Tell me, what is it called when a soldier knowingly lies to their commanding officer?"

Hatake stiffened slightly, while his mouth snapped out, "Insubordination." Then his single eye widened, the other covered with a slanted Leaf headband. A feeling of foreboding settled upon him.

"Ah, so it is, Hatake. I also wonder, what is it called when a soldier leaves their station without permission?"

Hatake's mind was racing at the possible implications. The Hokage had left off his title. "Desertion," his mouth snapped out, even as his posture straightened.

"Yes, so it is. And when a soldier abandons their orders to do something else?"

"Dereliction of duty." In the end, he was betrayed by his military conditioning, combined with protocols when addressing his commander-in-chief.

"Quite. Turn in your mask, Jounin. You are hereby relieved of any and all ANBU duties, effective immediately."

"What?! You can't..."

"Silence! I can and will, Chuunin! Tell me plainly, Chuunin, tell me what the punishment is for someone who commits these crimes?" Sarutobi flipped a folder open and held it so Hatake could read the single sheet inside clearly. The lone eye widened, the exposed skin paled and the hands began to slightly twitch. "I see you understand the situation now, Chuunin."

"But.."

"I did not give you leave to speak!" Sarutobi roared. When he stood and leaned across his desk, where his hands touched, the wood splintered.

"You are here to serve the Hokage and this Village, not your own whims or desires. Three of these offenses are punishable by Death by Jutsu, with two others having Public Hangings."

He calmed his voice, but left his undiluted anger wash over the shaking man. "Such would be a waste, for I still believe you could serve Konoha with loyalty and honor. I am being very lenient with you, Hatake, and you would be well served to know your place. These are not mere peccadilloes.

"However, if you persist in defying my will, we still have other ranks we can sample, or should I skip to the chase and simply call you _Civilian_?!"

Hatake promptly fainted.

Drawing his intent and chakra back, Sarutobi motioned for someone to check on Yoshinibi. There was a slight displacement in one of the upper corners. He hoped he wouldn't have to find another replacement; she made very good tea.

"Bear."

A large man in black appeared before the Hokage's desk. "Your will, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi began filling in a form. "Open face, if you would."

"Hai," said Bear as he removed his mask, showing a smooth open face with wide black eyes and a head of short brown hair. He wore a headpiece with the Leaf symbol in the center of the forehead and two side pieces running alongside his jaw, an homage to Senju Tobirama, their Second Hokage.

"Tenzou-san, I need you to take _this_ ," he said as he held the paper, "and _that_ ," he pointed, Bear's eyes widening as he glanced at the recumbent Hatake, "to Personnel and hand in this form.

"Then, you are to escort Hatake to Supply where you will witness him emptying out his Jounin vest and pouches for an olive Chuunin vest with a blue collar. He has managed to land himself in a Probationary Position.

"You will be the signing witness to any property exchange. Inform him he is on a two-week unpaid leave, and cannot exit the village. He will need a friend, so I ask you be there for him. Under no circumstances will he be allowed into ANBU Headquarters unless arrested. His personal affects will be delivered to his residence."

"It will be done. Permission to speak freely, Hokage-sama?"

"Granted."

"What did..."

"Since you were present and debriefed after my visitation with Naruto's sensei," he motioned Tenzou to the open file, "that is what Hatake did during the last security detail. Though this is not the first offense, I still have need of him. At your discretion, remind him of his three-month probation and that the Jounin Selection Exams will be in two years. That should give him sufficient time to reevaluate his life choices."

"I understand fully. By your leave, Hokage-sama."

"Dismissed."

Tenzou hefted Hatake over his shoulder and left the office with a nodded bow to Sarutobi. To an empty room, he said, "Number Three, I will need you to secure Hatake's former office. Take two medium scrolls with you from the second closet and hand deliver them to Morino Ibiki when done. We'll sort through everything later." He felt a presence leave.

As he poured himself another cup of tea, he noticed the damage to his desk. With a sigh, he began the requisition forms for a new one. He could only hope Naruto was having a better day.

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Ocelot and Anko arrived at the Hokage Mansion around 08:00 to be greeted by Ana sporting a black sash upon her uniform.

"Ana-san, good morning. I see you've been made Matron. Anko, this is Ana, Matron of the Sarutobi staff. Ana-san, this is Mitarashi Anko, one of Hokage-sama's favored Chuunins. We were instructed to collect Uzumaki-kun. Is he available?"

"Welcome Ocelot-san, Mitarashi-san, and thank you for the kind words. Yes, Naruto-kun is available." She turned her head to the side. "Naruto? Ocelot-san and Mitarashi-san are here for you."

The boy poked his head around a corner and grinned at Ocelot before moving up alongside Ana. With a nod and brief smile from her, he stepped outside and edged close to Ocelot.

"Naruto-kun, do you remember Anko-san from yesterday morning?"

He nodded. "Snake lady."

That got an instant reaction from Anko. She had crouched down low and leaned towards Naruto with a darkened face. "What do you mean by that, brat!" she hissed out.

"Anko! Tch. Naruto, it's ok, she's not going to hurt you. Can you answer her question?"

Naruto, who had wrapped himself around and partially behind one of Ocelot's legs, nodded hesitantly. "Move..move like snake but not like Snake Man. He is im..unbalanced." He nodded to himself and looked back up at Anko, who had not moved. "But you not like him at all."

He seemed to ponder something with his eyes cast downwards, and then looked back up at Anko, and for a very brief moment, she saw her reflection. He seemed to sniff the air, nostrils flaring.

"Why you..do you smell sad?" He reached out his right hand, his left firmly clenching Ocelot's pant leg, and touched Anko's cheek.

It took all of Anko's will power, along with a voice shouting in her head ' **Child Child Child** ', not to spin away into a crouched attack position before lunging forwards with a kunai in one hand and shadow snakes zipping out the other sleeve from shock and conditioned reflex.

Naruto, oblivious to the danger, pulled his hand back and glanced at Anko again, with something like a blush on his cheeks. "You too..are too pretty to be sad."

Anko stood up suddenly, flushed with embarrassment as Ocelot gained Naruto's attention. "That was very nice of you to say, wasn't it Ana-san?"

"Indeed, very sweet of you, Naruto-kun. Be good for them, Naruto-kun; I must return to my duties. Be safe, Ocelot-san, Mitarashi-san." With that, Ana slipped back into the mansion and closed the door.

"Are you ready, Naruto-kun? We have many things to do today with you, though you may not like all of them." At his nod, she slowly bent at the hip and slid her right hand down to touch his hand. "Grab hold, Naruto-kun. Tight, but not too tightly, okay? Have you recovered, Anko?"

They started walking towards the market sector. "Well enough, I suppose. You should've warned me he was a smooth talker."

"We are all learning as we go, Anko." was the chuckled reply.

"Ocelot-san? Why the mask? You has..have pretty eyes."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun, and you _are_ a smooth talker, aren't you. The mask, Naruto-kun, is to remind other people to behave, just like we will behave. It is a reminder. Do you understand?" She got a nod and grip-squeeze.

"Say, if you two are done flirting, mind if we stop for grub? I could use some dango and maybe some bean soup."

"What is flirting?"

Ocelot tilted her mask at Anko, then answered, "We will tell you later, Naruto-kun. I promise."

"And dango?"

"Only the best food ever!"

"Hwuaah? Nuh-uhn, ramen is!"

"Have you ever had dango, brat?"

"Not brat, Naruto and silly asking..question. If I ask what is, I know not what is, silly snake! Ramen still better." Half a moment later, he snapped his fingers at her with a...was that a glint in his eye? Naruto had seen these motions plenty of times, on those occasions he left his silent quadrant.

"You...you dare to snap your fingers at me, you little turdling?" She saw him mouth the word. "Means 'little turd', little turd."

Now he was the one spluttering. Anko half-stifled a snort, stuck out her tongue and gave the 'victory' sign. They walked a bit in relative silence, Naruto looking deep in thought.

"So you ever eat ramen? How you know dango gooder if no try ramen?"

Anko momentarily stopped in her tracks, blinked, then caught back up shaking her head muttering about 'stupid brats and their stupid logic'. "Fine. You try dango, I'll try ramen and we'll see. You're still a bratty little turd though."

Ocelot knew what the fifteen year old was doing, and was silently thankful, as the insults and banter distracted Naruto from the glares and barely heard mutterings. Having an overt ANBU escort did give them a moderate berth, and she just hoped today didn't turn out like most others. The kid was long overdue a break.

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Umino Iruka, Chuunin, was on extended medical leave and had recently been given Light Duty clearance: clerical and the like, easy pace, zero threat. Normally, he was with Charlie Company in the Second Hunter Division, but had suffered a shattered collarbone and multiple fractures in his left leg on an extraction mission about a month back.

The Hunters were recon scouts and trackers, providing field intelligence, tracking targets, and performing extractions. Rarely, there were assassinations, since there was another division just for those.

A possible scenario would be the Hunters go in, read the area, then call in the heavy hitters, Tai and Ninjutsu specialists, while they would perform their own tasks. Those were sometimes aided by a Genjutsu specialist or overall generalist, during the distraction and confusion.

Though this last mission was successful, his company did take some bad hits. Iruka had only left the hospital last week, so he was a bit surprised to have been summoned to see the Hokage.

As he checked in with the unfamiliar receptionist outside the office, he thought, _'It can't be a report error. If that were the case I would've been summoned earlier, or someone from Intelligence would have seen me.'_

His mind shifted to darker thoughts. _'Is this a disciplinary action? Sure there were some things which could've gone better, there's never a 'perfect' mission, but I don't think there were any mistakes_ that _bad.'_

"Hokage-sama has been expecting you, Umino-san. Please, go on in."

"Thank you, um..."

"Yoshinibi."

He bowed his head. "Thank you, Yoshinibi-san."

He knocked, heard the greeting and entered, closing the door behind him.

"Ah, Iruka. How are you feeling? Please, have a seat, we have much to discuss, you and I." The delivery was friendly and casual.

A stunned Iruka shakily walked before the large desk and sat in the indicated chair.

"Tea?"

"A...no, no thank you, Hokage-sama, and I am well. Thank you for asking, Hokage-sama." Iruka bobbed his head in respect.

"Yes, I see you have been cleared for Light Duty, correct?" At the silent nod, he continued, "Looking through your records, I can see an inclination towards teaching. Your peers have spoken openly of your patience, attentiveness, loyalty and ability to impart instruction in a, and I'm quoting here, 'warmly human fashion'."

He saw Iruka blush and duck his head and chuckled. "Nothing to be ashamed of, Iruka. These are excellent qualities in a teacher or counselor, should you chose to retire from the Hunters. Either would suit you well, as I have read of your aptitude with young hostages and extractions."

"I am honored, Hokage-sama. I am yours to command, as always."

"I am please to hear that, Iruka. You may or may not know this, but every position has an entrance requirement, a test, if you would. I have the perfect test for you to gauge your skills. Have some tea, it will calm you. I'll have one as well, if you would be so kind."

Iruka gave a slight smile and nod as he stood and poured two cups, passing one to the Hokage as he retook his seat.

"Mmmm...I may have to keep Yoshinibi-san. She makes good tea. As I was saying though, I have the perfect skills test." He paused as he savored a sip.

"There is, in this very village, a child in desperate need. He desires to enter the Shinobi Academy, and preliminary tests indicate great potential, as well as his documented ability to call upon his chakra. The latter was not consistent, mind you, but sufficient to take fairly accurate measures. Despite that, he does not know how to read or write."

"What?! Excuse my outburst, Hokage-sama."

"You may speak freely, Iruka."

"My thanks, Hokage-sama. How it is that he can draw his chakra and has great potential, but he is illiterate? Has no one taught him? My apologies, but I find that impossible."

"I would agree with you, Iruka. Nevertheless, he is illiterate. His parents were both killed five years ago," he said carefully, watching memories flicker across Iruka's face, "and was placed in the orphanages.

"There was a lot of confusion in those early weeks and years, and the boy somehow slipped through the cracks. It has only been brought to my attention fairly recently, but the situation is not unsalvageable."

"I am still amazed anything like this could have happened, Hokage-sama. Didn't he have anyone? Other relations or family friends? Also, just how old is the boy?"

"Though I am certain there were friends of the family at the time, sadly that cannot be said today. From my understanding, they all believed him dead or vanished; as for your other question, he is going on six."

Iruka began choking on his tea. "Six!? Most children slated for the Academy begin around age two or three! Ah, for..."

Sarutobi held up his hand. "Nothing to forgive, Iruka, and I am just as vexed. I did say you could speak freely."

Iruka nodded his thanks and took a thoughtful sip. "If I may ask, Hokage-sama, what is his name?"

"Therein lies the test, Iruka. I will not place a preconception upon you, as that may bias the results. Suffice it to say, both of his parents were valuable friends and powerful shinobi. It is truly a shame I am asking this of you, instead of speaking with them about how well their son is doing in his studies. Not that I do not enjoy the company, Iruka."

That got a knowing nod. "I understand, Hokage-sama, and agree. This is a double-blind then. He does not know me, and I do not know him." Sarutobi nodded.

"I accept, Hokage-sama. It is as you say, a good test of my abilities."

"I was hoping you would agree. As I said, he is going on six and is illiterate. Truth to tell, he is currently learning how to speak as well," above the sound of Iruka choking, he continued, "so he will need very beginner texts, but use your discretion.

"He is intelligent and almost completely uneducated; it would not be wise to insult his lacking. This will be a B rank mission, duration of three months. Though miracles would be very much appreciated, I will accept functional literacy by the time the Academy begins in November. Your future career options hinge upon how well you can teach the untaught."

"B rank, Hokage-sama?"

"Indeed. Due to his parentage, there might be some who would risk kidnapping or injuring the boy. And before you ask, he does not know of his parents. This is for his safety until such time as he can defend himself or his situation changes. Both of his parents were rather well known in certain circles, and there are groups out there that would love to get their hands on him if his true identity was revealed."

"By your leave then, Hokage-sama. I thank you for the tea and I will begin my preparations."

"Dismissed." _'I expect good things from this, Iruka. I hope you do not disappoint.'_

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They had stopped first at Ichiraku's Ramen Bar for takeout, since Dingo's Dango Hut had counter stools, bench-table seating, and was covered by a large awning. Ichiraku's had but a short awning and only counter seating. Ocelot waited around the corner as Anko ducked inside with Naruto.

Anko shouted out, "Old Man! We need some take-out ramen!"

Teuchi looked up from his boiling pot and saw the blond head of Naruto next to someone he knew only from reputation. Wiping his hands on his apron, he approached the counter and leaned slightly against it, unseen fingers hovering over a panic button.

"Ah yes, welcome to Ichiraku's Ramen Bar. We have a fairly large selection available. And Naruto-kun, you never told me about this friend."

Anko looked between the two and felt something off. "Mitarashi Anko, Naruto's chaperone for the day. Perhaps you know his other escort?"

"Ocelot-san? Ah, there she is," as Ocelot made herself briefly visible, "and my apologies. Can never be too careful with Naruto-kun, now can we. If you'll forgive me, I must tend the noodles. Ayame, counter."

"Hai, Tou-san." A brown haired girl about ten or so came up from the back rooms. "What can I get for you today?"

Anko was about to order when she felt a tug on her jacket. Looking down showed a nervous, sort of serious looking Naruto, staring up at her. She crouched to his level, his eyes never leaving hers. "Yes?"

Though she could tell he was twitchy about something, he never took his gaze elsewhere and swallowed thickly. "Anko-san, they are special to me and very im..important. They are like..." He stopped, looked askance and scowled.

_'What the hell is he babbling about and what's with the nerves? It's like he's introducing me..to..his..I get it.'_ "Like family?"

That got an enthusiastic nod and a grunt. "I am afraid for them sometimes. I don't want them to have my pain training fro...be-because of me."

"I get it, so....anything else or can I order already?" _'What does he mean by pain training? It had better not be those stairs!'_

He turned his face downward and said, "I think that maybe Teuchi-san is upset, for, um, from shouting."

"What? He's not up..look, what do you want, brat! Want me to apologize or something?" Her gut twisted, feeling herself mirrored.

Though he kept his face down, his eyes flicked up and Anko was subjected to an unintentional Puppy Eye technique, accompanied by a very gentle, "Please?"

There was a long moment before Anko finally scowled, glanced around, scowled again and hissed out, "Fine!"

He looked up then and gave her a megawatt grin. "I will give you space so you can. I will wait." He nodded once, stepped a few feet to the side, folded his hands in front of him, and began waiting.

Anko blinked, looked down, and then looked back over at Naruto, who in turn smiled at her encouragingly. She stood abruptly, took a petulant step towards the counter and flicked her eyes over at the little bastard again before facing forward.

She hesitated and saw him from the corner of her eye. He still had his patient eyes on her and sort of tilted his head a bit to the side. When she didn't move, his right eyebrow rose up slightly, then dipped on one side. She cleared her throat. _'He so looked like Minato-sama just then! Where did he learn that?'_

Ayame was still waiting with her pad while Teuchi spoke up from his pots without looking up. "Something the matter, Mitarashi-san?"

"Um," she gave another quick glance to Naruto, "I would like to, um, like to ap-apologize if my behavior or," she took a deep breath, "attitude offended." _'That brat is sooooo going to owe me!'_

Her fists were clenched and her gaze was down. She felt a presence move in front of her, on the kitchen side, and waited for the slurs which usually came, thanks to her traitorous sensei.

Teuchi pitched his voice just for Anko. "Apology accepted, Mitarashi-san. Worry not, this will go no further. Reputations are very hard to gain and so easy to lose."

Her head snapped up at that and she gave him one of her very rare smiles. "I'd appreciate that, Ichiraku-san." Her index finger pointed back at herself. "Anko."

He copied her motion. "Teuchi. Some advice? Try not to scowl so much as it creates stress and lines. You don't want a face like a map, right? So maybe, maybe a smirk, perhaps, would be a good alternative, yes?"

She gave a lopsided grin and said, "Thank you, Teuchi-san. I think I will take that advice. Now then, give the brat a beef special and for me, well, to tell the truth, I've never had this stuff before, so I guess, um, surprise me."

Teuchi nodded and went back to his noodles as Ayame went to gather more ingredients. Anko was very relieved nobody else had seen that public display. She felt a small hand touch her own, which she allowed to open and close around Naruto's.

"This is take-out, correct?"

"Hai, brat and me have a bet going about what's better: ramen or dango. So we'll grab this to-go then head over there. No offense, but you really don't have enough space."

He smiled and nodded. "By design. We don't want customers to move so far away that they cannot smell our quality dishes over the sweaty squalor of mere pedestrians. Tell me, what will you do when Naruto is proven right?"

She snorted and stated, "Well, I'll still eat dango, but I might drop by occasionally for a bowl or two. Maybe. I'm a hard woman to please, Teuchi- _kun_ , and even harder to impress."

Teuchi gave one of his rare hearty laughs, which caused Ayame to poke her head back around a corner and smile broadly. "Order's up, on the house."

"Trying to bribe me, Old Man?"

He waved away the allegation. "You are a friend of Naruto-kun. You are welcome here, even with dango. Enjoy your meal."

Her face went slack for a moment, incredulous, before a soft smile formed on her lips. With a nod of respect, cheeks still rosy, she collected the cartons and stepped outside the awning. Ocelot fell in step as they moved towards Dingo's, taking up Naruto's other hand.

Ocelot came to a stop ten feet from the awning covered space. "Naruto-kun is not exactly welcome here. Hand me the cartons and place your orders. Naruto and I will be at the furthest table from the counter."

Anko frowned a bit at the statement, then complied with a nod. "I'll be right back. Prepare to be amazed, brat. And, um, I can understand why you consider them family." She gave his hand a slight squeeze, then left to place the orders.

Ocelot found the table she wanted and removed her mask as she sat. She then opened a pouch and pulled out a tape measure and notepad, then a pen from her vest. She flicked the pages briefly, then said, "Okay, Naruto-kun, time for unpleasant things. Stand over here, arms out and legs spread so I can get your measurements."

He did as he said with a sigh. "Don't worry, Naruto-kun. We will make certain they do not disappear this time. That is a promise."

Anko came to the table with several platters of dango skewers. "Gotcha the Newbie Platter; it's an assortment of some of the best selections. Clothing?" She got a nod.

"While we eat, we'll start some learning. You know hand seals yet?" He shook his head. "Can you tie knots?" Taking a seat, Anko set the platter in the middle, then pulled her ramen container closer.

He nodded, and once Ocelot was done, he dug out an eight inch piece of cord and handed it to Anko. Rubbing her thumb along it, she said, "We'll have to get you more types of cord, rope and other materials. They all differ in physical properties and how well they handle knots.

"Learning how to create and untie knots helps with finger and wrist dexterity and flexibility, both of which are very important in the formation of hand seals. It also makes a good foundation for escapement techniques. Show me what you can do while we eat. Bite, tie knot, swallow, show. Got it?"

While they ate the opposition first, Naruto displayed the knots he knew which Kurama-sensei had taught him. Anko looked at Ocelot, who nodded while pulling dango from a wooden skewer.

"Okay brat, first things first. This is some mighty good grub. Though not superior to dango, I might just have to try some more of Teuchi-san's menu to make up my mind. Now we'll switch foods and I'll begin the lesson. This seal is called Rat."


	6. End of a Long Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous chapter: Hatake's consequences, and Naruto's introduction to Anko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

Ocelot had excused herself halfway through the impromptu lesson, leaving Anko and Naruto at Dingo's so that she could continue her part of the mission. The attitudes of some in the village towards Anko were not as bad as towards Naruto, but did serve to anger the mercurial girl, so it was left to Ocelot to perform some of the shopping and supply forays.

Anko had earned a reputation for being brutally efficient on the field; consequently, very few instigators would actually approach or physically provoke her. This in itself did not diminish her reputation among the civilian populace. Things trickled down though, and most learned to avoid her.

There was one, however, who was insistent on messing with the infamous Mitarashi. He crept slowly and with great deliberation in a low crawl, sliding forward on his belly by small increments.

He was the Alpha, leader of the Pack and he was hunting for certain prey as he moved through the small forest of bench-tables. _'There!'_ he thought, as he raised his makeshift spyglass. _'Let's see what yours look like.'_

Anko had spied the little leather-clad kid, male most likely, as he slid and crawled beneath benches and around the bent poles which connect them to their tabletops. She ignored him for the most part, assuming he was 'Playing Ninja' with some friends nearby, and went back to demonstrating seals for Naruto.

Since each of the primary seals represented a specific month, once he went through the entire set once, Anko began calling out a particular month to which he would have to form the proper seal. Once he got those down, she started on the mythology and its allegorical animals linked to each seal and month.

It was then she noticed the reflection of light and tracked it back to the brown boy on the dirt not too far away, who had a cardboard tube with glass taped to the end pointed at her. Seeing how Naruto was seated opposite her, she saw that the boy had used Naruto's body as a blind or shield.

It really didn't take much thought to understand what the little snot was up to and with complete conservation of motion, she scooped up three empty dango skewers and flicked them downward, just off of Naruto's left.

**FutFutFut**

An indignant shout came from behind Naruto, who turned and saw a brown boy staring at a tube of some sort, which had been pierced through and nailed to the ground with three wooden skewers. He had unruly brown hair, wore brown leather clothes and had a brown face, though Naruto figured that was probably from the dirt.

He noted the odd eyes, sharp teeth and feral look and turned back to Anko. "Demon family?" he asked softly, pitching his voice low.

The question shook Anko out of her glare and she gave a 'later' motion to Naruto. Turning back to the brown boy, she grated out, "Just what the hell do you think you were doing, shitstain?!"

"Whut? Nuthin! You owe me a spyglass, crazy lady!" The skewers went deeper than he thought, as he struggled to free his cardboard tube.

"Spyglass, eh? And what were you trying to spy on, ya little creep?" She noted Naruto's stance, and shot him 'peace' and 'relax' signs.

"None yer beeswax! I don't hafta ansa to the likes of you!"

"You were trying to look up my skirt, weren't you!" She noted that several of the tables around had cleared.

"Liar! I was not and you can't prove it!"

"You were. You were trying to look at my panties, weren't you!" Sensing that Naruto was still a bit agitated, she shifted into Hostage 2, Non-combative Support Posture. Subconsciously, he began to relax, despite the volume.

"Nuh-uhn! Can't prove it!"

"Well, I got a news flash for ya, brat, I don't wear any!"

The boy's eyes got wide and he rose up slightly, trying to pull his spyglass free to check. He forgot, however, that he was currently under a bench, and when he moved upwards, his head met with the wooden underside with a loud hollow 'thunk', before he dropped bonelessly into the dirt.

Anko snorted, then made a calming motion towards the very puzzled Naruto. "Hana-chan! Oi, Hana-chan! I think I found what you lost!"

Within moments, a pretty girl in her late teens, wearing an olive Chuunin vest, ran up, followed by three large dogs. "Oh, hey there Anko-chan. Have you seen Kiba? Brat slipped his leash again and scampered off somewhere."

"Oh, yes, I've seen him. Little cretin's down there. Knocked himself out while trying to peek up my skirt."

Hana's eyes narrowed. "That is it! This is the sixth time today, and it's not even noon! Sorry for the trouble, Anko-chan. I'll take him home."

She turned back at the sound of growls, finding the Triplets hunkered down low, their backs bristled. It was when she glanced back at Anko that she spotted the little boy, who had half turned and was frozen in fright, staring back at the dogs. Her eyes began to narrow to slits when her field of vision was filled with Anko, blocking her view of the Kyuubi-brat.

"Call them off." The command was simple, silken and smooth, delivered from an apparently incredibly calm Anko. "Call them off. I like you, but I won't ask again."

A very calm Anko was enough to snap Hana from her thoughts. Her eyes flickered between the demon, Anko and the street, and she nodded.

**"Be calm child. They smell me in you. The snake mistress will not let them harm you."**

_'Kurama-sensei! Where..'_

**"Resting, boy. I've been working with and on you for almost three hundred hours straight. I needed to recharge. I am pleased that you remembered your 'inside' voice. We will resume our lessons soon. In the meantime, calm yourself."**

"It was...good seeing you again, Anko." She pulled Kiba out from under the bench by his neck, then gripped the back of his jacket and hauled him to the street. "Come, we're leaving!"

Watching her friend's back as she dragged her brother away with the Triplets, Anko sighed. Even with her brashness, she could tell when someone was being rude.

_'Well, that's another friendship down the crapper,'_ she thought, before Anko turned to Naruto and said what was starting to become a mantra, "Not your fault. Come, we have our own things to do."

He moved to stand, eyes on the ground as he held up his hand. She held it in her own, took a step, then spun him into her, crouching low.

"Look at me, Naruto. There's a lot of stupid, angry, ugly, mean and hateful people in this place, but you can't let it get to you. If you do, they win and if they win, they will _never_ let you forget that they are better than you. So you just have to be better than them and prove 'em wrong; but before that, thicken that skin and don't let the pain show."

His eyes had been locked on her and he slowly nodded. "You too? They do this to you?"

She was silently shocked and did her best not to show it. Not trusting her voice, she simply nodded once, stood slowly, and tugged his hand.

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It was a silent walk to his apartment complex. She had become passingly familiar with the layout yesterday, as her summons had led her all over the place, although some rooms had much older Naruto scents than others. It had taken her some time to calm down after she found the boy's scent not just on the handrails for the various stairways, but also on the steps and not in a pattern which would indicate him being barefoot.

She knew from her training and summons that the strongest scents come from direct skin contact, which was why clothing worn closest to the skin was the preferred object to begin a tracking operation. She had gathered a pretty good picture of some of the things which had gone on here, as there were some fairly recent Naruto scents on the exterior fire escape on every single step, but not one scent on the handrail which was his: someone had tumbled him down the steps several times in a row.

She also knew about the body, buried in a shallow grave about forty feet away on the edges of a neglected park. Those two scents, Naruto and the lady, came from the only apartment which the boy had not been in for the past month, and was the only one with intact furnishings. Except for the boy, the complex was vacant.

Perhaps if the Hokage knew, he could secure the property for the boy, and wouldn't that really shake things up. One of the requirements for the Civilian Council, or Lesser House, except for certain governmental positions, was commercial property ownership in excess of a specific square-footage.

Naruto was oddly hesitant when it came to his splintered door. "Sorry. I have mess and no place to sit...seat you." His eyes skittered around the floor.

"How are you feeling? Honestly. Describe what you are feeling."

"Anger at self, sad and something, something like I should have something for you but don't."

_'Not sorrow. Not embarrassed or his left hand would be rising already. Clenched fists and rigid stance. Oh.'_ "Naruto-kun...can I call you that?" A terse nod. "Naruto-kun, you are feeling shame."

"Shame?"

"Yeah. But you know, you don't have to. Feel shame, I mean. Look, it's not your fault, okay?" Her own hands clenched and loosened, then she nodded.

"Okay brat, come here, but if you tell a soul," she threatened as she pulled him into a tight hug, "you tell a soul about me doing this and I will summon my thinnest snake and send it up your nose so it can bite your brain and lay eggs and then baby snakes will spill out your eyes and ears, and even your bellybutton. And I don't think you want that."

There was a snort or two from her midriff. She noted that his own hands had stayed clenched at his sides. "Okay, you okay now? Good. Show me your kitchen, we gotta make a list of things to get you big and strong, okay?"

He stepped away from her, dragging an arm over his eyes briefly and nodded. He took two steps, turned to the right and pointed.

_'You gotta be kidding me. This place is crap! I've seen better in raided border towns.'_ "O-kay. Huh. Um, can you tell or show me what you normally eat? I know you really like ramen and all, and also that you don't eat Teuchi's stuff all the time. So what else is there?"

He nodded and walked over to one of the lower cupboards, opened it, crouched low and partially crawled inside. He came back out with a cracked plastic glass, then turned to the sink, rising on his tiptoes to turn the spigot. He turned back and gave an embarrassed grin to the stunned Anko.

"Um..sorry. I think water is out. Let me check." He opened the cupboard beneath the sink, grabbed a short length of pipe, and struck it against the water lines. "Water out here, but next door might have. I get you some."

"Wait...wait, Naruto-kun are you telling me that this is what you normally eat? Alright, well, at least now we know. You know how to cook?"

He shook his head, curling into himself at the disappointment in her voice. Anko, in a private rant, didn't notice. She blew out a puff of air, causing one of her dark locks to dance as she scowled at what she saw.

_'The kid lives off of tap water and the occasional noodle bowl?! What the hell! I'm surprised the kid isn't potbellied and terminal...at least that furball is good for something._

_'Huh, I don't think that old lady would mind all that much if we were to borrow some things on his behalf. Anything is better than this crap.'_

It was then she noticed Naruto's emotional state, which snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Hey, hey what's wrong?" All she got was mutterings of 'sorry'. "Hey, I'm not, um...man, this is complicated, as if I'm not messed up enough. Look, kid, I'm not mad at you, if that's what you think, just this." She emphasized with a wide sweep of her hand.

That seemed to have uncurled him a little bit, as she continued in a warmer fashion. "Don't worry about it kid. We'll take care of ya. For the now though, you work on your seals and I'll start on a list."

She paused, and fished out some cord from an inside coat pocket. "Hey, before you do that though, check this out. It's called Cat's Cradle."

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It was a little past noon when Ocelot arrived, her mask on her belt and several parcels in her arms. There was a brief frown on her face at the living conditions, or lack thereof, which was quickly hidden.

She noted Anko was teaching Naruto more knots and string games.

"How is everything? I brought lunch. I also got you some things, Naruto. We'll go over them after we eat. Anko, do you have a list for me?"

As they ate, Anko, in soft tones, told Ocelot of the Inuzuka gathering, minus the Kiba conversations, and the current living conditions for the daily report they would need to file, in addition to the weekly and monthly summaries.

She made very sure to mention psychological issues, with code phrases for possible Hostage or Fast Trust procedures they could use.

After Naruto had finished eating, Ocelot asked, "Where do you normally sleep, Naruto?"

His first attempt to answer ended in a bout of coughing. "Sorry, talking is tiring." he croaked out. "Secret keep?"

At the smiling nod from Ocelot and a grinning thumbs-up from Anko, he felt a strange, yet pleasant, feeling spread through his chest. He turned towards the cupboards and dug into the back of one, his small body almost disappearing inside of it.

He returned with an old out-of-date calendar, which he presented to Ocelot with a blush. He turned away and began to climb onto the counter, using opened drawers and cupboard shelves as steps. Unseen by him, Ocelot moved into a better position to catch him should he fall.

Wedging himself into a corner, he pushed up on a ceiling panel and slid it to the side. Behind it, suspended on wire loops, was a wooden shoe box. Naruto carefully removed it, stuck it on a shelf, and began working his way back down.

He turned and was surprised to see Ocelot right there. He had been too focused on his task to even see either of the ladies.

"Ready to come down?" Naruto nodded slowly, seeing his calendar tucked under her arm.

Once back on the floor, given there were no furnishings in this apartment, he removed a thin piece of wire from the underside of the box. This he slid into a small hole found on the side of the lid.

Nodding to the sensation he felt, he carefully pulled off the lid. Held in check by the wire was a salvaged clock spring, fitted with tied-on razor blades. He didn't see the ladies exchange significant looks on seeing his trap.

When he turned back to them from this task, he found them with expectant smiles. The one he forming on his own lips felt strange and different, and the warm feeling was back.

Carefully reaching inside the box, he pulled out several thick stacks of currency notes and some oddly colored stones. Every item was presented for their inspection. This was the first time anyone had seen his stash, so this was important.

The final items were a heavy key ring and a dart. He held out his hands for the calendar. "I show trick now.

"Rooms have numbers like keys like the cal..calendar. So I throw dart and day hit is room I use. Except for six. I go there no more ever none."

"Old lady's place, right?" His eyes became wide and panicked. "Whoa, calm down kid. My snake told me, alright? You're not in any kind of trouble."

She flicked one of the bills stacks with a skewer, the action distracting Naruto from his momentary distress. "What's with all this?"

They both noted that all the bills were oriented the same way, the edges even. How they were wrapped, though, was not with the standard material.

"Money from Jijii, but can't use." He saw their looks and tried again. "Can use but not let..allowed to use. Outside, can't use, except Teuchi-sama. Rest won't let me inside."

The mental list of things for the report kept growing, and Anko started jotting more notes on the back of the grocery list. It was Ocelot who said, "We'll take care of you, Naruto. Now, before we go further, where will you be sleeping tonight so we can protect you? By the way, that is a pretty smart way of doing things, with the calendar and dart. You just keep surprising us, don't you?"

He blushed and grinned, setting up the calendar, closing his eyes, and tossing the dart. "Room two four."

"Very good, Naruto. Do you need help putting your secret box back?"

He stared at Ocelot owlishly. "You help me?"

"Only if you want us to, Naruto. This is your very special box, which is why we are asking if you would let us help you. I know if that was mine or Anko's box, we'd expect someone to ask us first as well."

They waited, silent, while Naruto slowly repacked his shoe box, rearmed the trap and stored the key. From his visible expressions, he was thinking hard. Then, without looking at Ocelot, he raised it up for her to take.

With sure motions, she repositioned his box on the loops and slid the tile back, before crouching down to hug Naruto from behind. If Anko hadn't been positive that her braying laughter would've spooked the kid, the face of surprise and panic he presented might have sent her rolling.

"Thank you for your trust, Naruto-kun. That really means a lot to me." She gave him another slow squeeze, allowing him more time to acclimate to the motion.

Releasing him, she stood, tousling the boy's hair without a reaction, testament of his frazzled state.

"Now then, I have some clothing and other supplies for you. I'll need to you try them on so we can see if everything fits right, okay?"

She pitched her voice to Anko. "Anko-san, do you know how to make storage seals? No? Okay, I'll set up a few in his bedroom here while you show him how to seal and unseal items from a spare storage scroll. Make sure it's one you don't mind losing, just in case. We can always replace it later."

As Anko readied the lesson from her superior, Ocelot smiled down at Naruto, giving him a little nudge. "These seals I'll make for you are very simple, Naruto. The downside with being simple is that anyone can unseal the contents, but at least your items won't be out in the open and as easily stolen."

Naruto practiced on one of Anko's spare scrolls while the storage arrays were being created in his bedroom's closet floor, before Anko helped him unpack the parcels.

She watched him carefully, seeing his eyes flicker over what his profile stated were his favorite colors, orange being one of them. He then turned to her with a serious expression.

"How do squeeze thing again?"

"A hug?" At his nod, she thought of her normal ones, which were usually side hugs, those that she gave.

She demonstrated on him, moving slowly as she gripped his far shoulder across his back and squeezed. "This is a side hug, which is different than the others we've given you."

He nodded in understanding, still wearing that serious expression. "Get her?" His right hand twitched towards the back rooms. "Um, please?"

Still watching his face, she called back, "Hey, Ocelot-san? Kid needs you for something."

She poked her head around the corner, then slowly approached the boy, seeing his serious expression. She knelt down within arm's length and asked, "Yes, Naruto-kun?"

He glanced sideways at Anko, in about the same manner as she did to him back at the ramen stand, before shuffling over to Ocelot's side. He turned to face Anko, and draped his arm across Ocelot's back. His shorter limb didn't reach that far, but she understood what he was doing.

"Like this, Anko-san?" he asked lowly.

"Heh, yep, just like that kiddo." She grinned encouragingly at him, still curious as towards what else he would do.

He nodded briskly, and his hand found its way on her left shoulder, near where he stood. "Thank you, Ocelot-san, for, for all this." He coughed roughly into his left fist. "Sorry, throat still rough."

Ocelot smiled broadly at the boy, draping her own arm across his back, to give his far shoulder a squeeze. "You are very welcome, Naruto-kun. Do you like the colors?"

"Very much." He stepped away from her touch and shuffled over to Anko, where he repeated the process. Despite her nature, she made certain to remain still and open so he wouldn't be spooked.

"Thank you, Anko-san, for knots and string games."

Returning the side hug, she nodded at him with a grin, dipping her head to catch his eye, before giving him a thumbs-up with her other hand. She hadn't been thanked for much in her young life, and had no other way to respond.

Ocelot spoke for the both of them, knowing a bit more of Anko's background. "That was very polite of you, Naruto-kun. It's good to be appreciated, yes?" At his shy nod, having moved away from Anko by a few steps, she continued, "Since we're all here, we'll need you to try on these clothes, so we can take back which doesn't fit."

Naruto being so emotive and physical, when he used to be very standoffish, would definitely be making it into her report.

This was her first time being this close to Konoha's jinchuuriki. Being Naruto's escort was one thing, but being this involved with his life was another, and she was determined to treat him not just as a child, but as a human as well.

Too many of her peers, even now, saw him as little more than an animal, based on spurious accounts from some of his tutors. If she wasn't before, she was now committed to changing this view.

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Around 15:00 Anko left to go shopping, as she knew a few grocers who didn't mind her being there. Ocelot, left with Naruto, first did a review on unsealing, using a newly created scroll, given that Anko's had been destroyed.

The teen in question wasn't too distraught, knowing that the cost of replacement would come from village coffers, but it did create new teaching opportunities. First and foremost, would be chakra control exercises.

Leaves refused to stick, except for one, which was stuck into the wall of the kitchen. Small bits of paper were only marginally more successful, in that none of them became lodged into the thin walls. It was then that Ocelot stumbled upon a serendipitous moment, one which would combine human contact with control exercises.

The boy's chakra capacity was not only vast, though Ocelot wasn't sure how much of that was due to his tenant. It was also, according the Naruto, sluggish and thick, after Ocelot spent some time listing off adjectives. It was as if his energy was a jar of honey, upended, the air bubbles moving slowly through the viscous stuff being his intent and control.

Towards this end, she engaged him in Wall Dancing, as it were. It was akin to Wall Standing, only he had to hold her hands as she slowly walked him up, down and sideways. He wasn't quite ready yet for diagonal. Still, it served as a control technique as well as acclimation to physical touch.

She couldn't help but feel pride at his progress, despite her professionalism trying to promote emotional distance. In her mind, this child had already tasted enough of that; he needed more positive experiences to balance the bad.

It was slow going, but she didn't mind, finding a modicum of delight in how Naruto's eyes would track her hair as it framed her mismatched eyes and swayed to their steps. This was not to say she was unaware of her surroundings, fully prepared to let Naruto drop the few feet if needs be. He might lose his breath, but that was preferable to other outcomes.

Ocelot had sensed the Chuunin when the quad was entered. She was reminded that she needed to emphasize the physical state of this apartment block. None of the others were this neglected. Before he had finished climbing the outside steps, her mask was back in place.

"A stranger comes, Naruto. Remember the mask lesson?" she asked softly

"A reminder, right?" Her wearing the mask meant possible trouble.

"Correct. Keep calm, and follow my lead."

"Um, hello there. I am Umino Iruka," he greeted, having knocked on the doorframe. Seeing the door propped up on a nearby wall, and the conditions of the apartment had shocked him a bit. He never thought he'd see such a thing in Konoha, of all places.

"I am supposed to be meeting a new student at this address by order of the Hokage. I am to be his literacy tutor for the next three months. Here is my mission scroll." He started as he saw a masked ANBU standing on the wall with a child.

"Umino-san, I am Ocelot, ANBU. We will be right with you." Turning her head back to Naruto, she whispered, "Down we go now, Naruto-san, nice and easy. Can you feel your chakra move? Yes? Good, you are doing a very good job.

"You've made a lot of progress today. Anko and I are both very proud of you."

On the inside of his mind, vast fields of flowers burst into view. On the outside, Naruto had reached the floor and had quickly regained his footing, Ocelot appearing besides him. He looked at the latest tutor and sighed softly. He figured this one would be like the others and began to prepare himself for pain exercises again. He watched as Ocelot stood before the man, read the scroll and nodded.

"Naruto-kun, this is Umino Iruka-san, your new tutor sent by the Hokage. He is here to help with your reading, writing and speech skills. Be good for him. I will be right outside."

Turning to Iruka, she said, "Have you need of anything, do not hesitate to ask. He is a bit shy though a quick study. Be patient with him and you will see it as well. I will grant you privacy." With that, she slipped out of the doorway and went around the corner.

Iruka's confusion at this odd scenario was quickly morphing into something else, but this was a mission, and one did not show their emotions on a mission lest their emotions cloud judgement or endanger the mission. This was a Shinobi Rule. He schooled his features and tried to calm his mind, though a part of him was adamant that the Hokage had set him up for failure.

Iruka knew that wasn't the truth and was quick to realize that this was indeed the ultimate test. He was to teach the untaught that none wanted taught, putting aside personal feelings and bias, tempering the mind, demonstrating patience; this was the test. Tamping down on his feelings, he walked into the small apartment and knelt into a seated position in front of the standing child.

"Please, Uzumaki-kun, have a seat. As stated, I will be your tutor for the next three months, preparing you for entrance into the Shinobi Academy. I am Umino Iruka, Chuunin, currently on medical leave from the Hunters."

He waited while Naruto took a seated position. "Now, I need to know what you know. Tell me of your skills thus far."

"I..I know more words than before and..and can talk some. Can not read or write yet but soon. Can do some math in my head. Jijii.."

"Who?"

"Jijii. The old man in the tower."

"Hokage-sama?" Iruka asked, becoming incensed at the tentative nod. "You will call him Hokage-sama."

"But..."

There was a fleshy sound and Naruto's head whipped to the side. "He will be addressed as Hokage-sama. There are no 'buts'."

"Jij..."

His head was whipped the other direction from the backhand. "Ho-ka-ge-sa-ma. Now say it correctly."

**"Be at ease, boy. Consider this a pain lesson. This tutor will be gone soon enough. I will resume our lessons on the morrow, but rest assured that I will not let him go too far, little one."**

The only sound was the pit-pit of blood dripping on the bare floor. Naruto kept his head bowed and eyes down, waiting for this lesson to be done. So far, the definition of 'tutor' was not living up to his personal experiences.

Something snapped inside of Iruka. This demon wearing human skin was acting meek, bowing his head as if showing him respect? This was the same demon who had killed his parents.

In a detached manner, feeling a little bit of guilt from striking a child, even if the skin was being worn like a coat, Iruka saw his right hand flick out, catching the demon under the chin. The small body twisted in the air, creating spiderweb-like cracks in the cheap plaster as the far wall was hit head-first.

Then there was a weight on his back, his right arm now twisted painfully behind him. A blow shook his brain, and his vision went dark.

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Sarutobi was watching the clock, only a portion of his attention on the paperwork before him. Soon, he would leave the office and make a quick trip to Naruto's apartment to see what Ocelot and Anko had done for the boy. Yes, there would be the report in the morning, but it wouldn't hurt to check.

There was a twinge of guilt at not having visited Naruto in several months, versus having the boy escorted to the Tower. There was also a sense of something. It wasn't that he didn't trust the boy's current handlers, far from it, but there were files being uncovered which spoke of a fairly long and consistent history of things.

These ranged from very minor or small abuses, to vandalism, the hurling of foodstuffs, the chases, and on up to big things like beatings...things which had never been 'officially' reported. Individually, they varied in unpleasantness, but add them all together and, well, Sarutobi was surprised the boy still knew how to truly smile. At least, he hoped it was a true smile.

There was a knock on his door and Yoshinibi poked her head inside the office. "Pardon the intrusion, Hokage-sama. Your personal presence is requested in Interrogation."

"Really. Hrm, well, then I should be going then. You should go as well, Yoshinibi-san. You did very well today, and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. You are clear for the night."

She blushed prettily and bowed at the waist. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. I will strive not to disappoint." She exited the office and locked up as Sarutobi flickered away to Ibiki's office.

"Report." He exited the office and began walking towards the holding cells.

Ibiki handed Sarutobi an open folder. "Shortly after 17:00, there was a report that one Umino Iruka did physically assault the person of Uzumaki Naruto. Arresting officer, Ocelot, was on patrol outside the apartment.

"She was under the impression that Umino-san was there under your orders as a tutor for Uzumaki-san. Uzumaki-san is being treated at the scene by Ocelot, and Umino-san is in Holding Cell 3."

"Very well. Let's get this over with." Ibiki opened the door to the cell and the Hokage strode inside, white robes billowing. "Medic?"

"Standing by, Hokage-sama."

"Clerk?"

"Standing by, Hokage-sama."

"Remove his hood."

"Hai."

The sight which greeted Iruka once the hood was removed was not one he wanted to repeat. He was tied very securely to a chair and could feel the chakra restraints to prevent any creative uses of Body Switches or other Escapement techniques; the worst aspect was having his Hokage standing before his bolted down chair with a look of extreme disappointment.

"Iruka, would you mind telling me why it is that you are in this building in that chair?"

"Hokage-sama! I have failed you and humbly apologize. I saw that thing mock..."

A backhand impacted the right side of his face and things slowed down. He saw the saddened look on the Hokage's motionless face as his hand followed through the strike only to catch something in the air. Time and pain quickly resumed as the Hokage held up one of Iruka's teeth. He watched in a detached manner as the medic came up from the right side of the Hokage and took the tooth from him, placing it on a wheeled metal cart.

"I'm sorry, Iruka. Perhaps I have misheard you. Would you mind repeating that statement? Maybe you should start from the beginning."

Seeing that Umino's face was swelling, he turned to the presiding medic. "Just enough for him to speak."

With professional detachment, a glowing green hand hovered over his dislocated jaw, as the other hand shifted it back into position.

Iruka was beginning to really panic. Not only was he in Interrogation, but he had also been struck by his own Commander in Chief. "I met Ocelot-san and Uzumaki-kun at his residence. Having introduced myself and informed him of my duty, we had seated when I requested he tell me of his current skills. When he insulted you, I strove to correct him and..."

"Stop. Clarify that point, if you would. How exactly did he insult me?"

"He, he referred to you in a very familiar fashion, which is an insult coming from his social caste." He dared not use other descriptors or pronouns.

"Ah, I see. Did you explain why you were offended or did you permit him to explain why he called me so familiarly?"

There was a pause. "No, no I did not, Hokage-sama. He tried and I struck him for being insubordinate and persistent in calling you 'Jijii'."

"I think I understand that part. However, that does not excuse what you did. Perhaps a compromise or explanation would have been better received, seeing how the boy is a neglected orphan who was never taught polite societal ways, something a teacher was going to impart in a conducive atmosphere."

Sarutobi paced before the bound man. "Perhaps I overestimated you, Iruka. Perhaps I am the one who has made the mistake in this. Perhaps you would be better suited in an administrative assistant position in a Fire-Earth border posting. Tell me, Iruka, what are your thoughts on this?"

"Please, Hokage-sama, please. I'll do anything. I had a bad moment and reacted in a horrible way. Please, Hokage-sama!"

Sarutobi stopped and gave Iruka a long hard look. "I'm removing you from this assignment. You are on probation, Umino Iruka, pending reassignment. You will continue to tutor Uzumaki Naruto under a one-third D rank pay grade as part of your probation and I will see positive results or you will be sent to the border.

"If young Uzumaki excels, so too will you. Your destiny is linked to his for the next three months. Prove to me that this is not a mistake on my part, and this...situation will be recorded as a mild reprimand."

"I, I submit to your will, Hokage-sama."

"I heard that from you once before. Do not fail me in this." Sarutobi turned and walked away, stopping by Ibiki. "Superficial, no bones or organs, fifteen minutes. Then fix his tooth. Ibiki, walk with me?"

"You heard the man. Keep it professional people." He turned and followed Sarutobi outside the holding cell, the door closing on the sounds of meaty hits.

"Your thoughts, Ibiki?" Sarutobi asked as they walked down the hall towards his office.

"He'll be a good teacher, he has a knack for it, and will be a valuable asset to this village in that capacity. But first he needs to pull his head out of his ass."

"Agreed. What do you think of Mitarashi?"

"Good head on her shoulders, can be rather temperamental, is brutal on the field and loyal to a fault. You make her short list and she'd walk on fire for you."

"How do you feel about an apprentice?"

They reached Ibiki's office and stood outside, Ibiki still in thought. "I'll think about it more after I put her through the Grinder. Have her report to me at 04:00 at Public Benevolence Hostel, building three if you would. I have paperwork thanks to that fool of a dolphin. This means you'll have paperwork by 07:00. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Hokage-sama."

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Teuchi was sitting in his small study, waiting for his guest to arrive. A message had arrived an hour ago, and preparations had been made. He heard the door chimes with five minutes to spare, sending his daughter head down to greet their guest. He rose from his comfortable chair and consulted his notes, making the last few arrangements. Tonight, things just might fall in his favor.

"Ah, so you finally decided to show your face, eh? I've been looking forward to this beating for quite some time. Ayame-chan, tea for our guest and then off to bed with you."

"Oh, are you so arrogant to believe you can best me? And thank you, Ayame-chan. You are a good daughter."

"Best you? Best you? You jest! The only thing old monkeys are good at is flinging their own poo!" Teuchi watched as his daughter's face colored from Sarutobi's praise.

"I will make sure you live long enough to regret that," said Sarutobi as he slid into a low defensive position, before slipping into a comfortable overstuffed chair, opposite Teuchi's and gazed at the shogi board, "now, where were we, noodle-head?"

Teuchi grinned and cracked his knuckles before accepting the tea service from his daughter and giving her a kiss on the forehead. He poured Sarutobi and himself a cup, then set the pot on the sideboard. "I've set the board according to our last session, but be warned. I've served several bowls to certain Naras since we last met. Prepare to be humbled, oh mighty monkey. You haven't been by lately, surely you are not double-timing me with another diner!"

Sarutobi chuckled warmly. He and Teuchi went back a good twenty years; here, the great Fire Shadow could be an old man who liked to sit around and play shogi. "Perish the thought. Things have been busy of late, and you wouldn't believe my day if I told you."

"Then don't tell me. Instead, learn humility and reflect on your actions!"

They played into the early morning, when the person of Sarutobi Hiruzen left the warm embrace of Ichiraku's Ramen Stand, donned his hat, and became the title of Third Hokage of Konohagakure for another long day.


	7. Reset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous chapter: Naruto learns about hugs and meets Iruka about four years too soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

Ocelot had received the message that Anko would be pulled for the day for a promotional evaluation when she turned in their daily report to the Tower's Night Clerk, before making her way to Uzumaki's complex. Anko had returned about an hour after the Umino incident, which was fortunate given the anger radiating off the girl once she was briefed on the happenings.

Though Naruto had been cleaned up and treated at the scene, he had remained listless, displaying none of his earlier mannerisms. It wasn't as if his social skills had been set back by a day, but by years.

Unknown to the two ladies, part of his sanguine nature was due to Kurama testing Naruto's mind for any damage or informational gaps of learned material. He also knew the boy tended to be like this after each tutor, especially now that he knew what that word meant.

Landing lightly on his floor, she silently moved to his recently replaced door to his 'apartment of record', sensed him inside and moving, and knocked softly twice, paused, then four times.

That was the signal they had devised yesterday afternoon: the number of door knocks depended on his nightly room number. It wasn't the greatest of codes by any means, but would serve their purposes.

Though barely after 05:00, he was dressed when he admitted her. Or rather, he unlocked the door, which she then opened herself to an empty room. She could sense him on the other side of the room divider.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun." said Ocelot, slipping off her mask and clipping it to her belt. She heard the rustle of his clothes as a single scared eye peeked at her.

"Anko-san won't be joining us today, but will probably be back with us tomorrow," she continued, pretending not to notice, nor showing how much his actions hurt her. "What would you like to start on today?"

The eye vanished, and she could hear him gathering things. She didn't move though, staying where she had crouched down in the barren kitchen. Ocelot didn't like having her back to the door, but what could she do?

All the progress made yesterday, gone. _'Damn that man!'_ she inwardly fumed, careful not to let the emotions show on her face.

Naruto returned, keeping an eye on the rolls of paper in his hands, the ones she had been using with Anko to teach her the basic storage seal. When he looked up and saw Ocelot patiently waiting right in front of him, he drew up short, though his balance was off. Arms pinwheeling, he sat heavily, then hastily scooted back a few feet.

The papers floated lazily down as she watched all this with a warm smile and open expression.

"Show letters?" He had a pencil fisted, pointing it at the papery mess.

"I think I can do that for you, Naruto-kun. Do you think Hokage-sama will send another tutor?" She noticed the sour look of distaste on his face.

"I hope not. Only thing they teach is pain. He was fiv, fifth one."

"You mean he was your fifth tutor and you've been taught nothing?"

"Pain lessons." He hadn't moved any closer, nor had he taken his eyes off of her, though he had yet to look into her eyes.

She shook her head. "I think I understand where you are coming from with that, with the more pain you experience, the more experienced you get at handling pain. But I don't think that counts as an actual tutoring lesson. I'm not a tutor though, I'm just a friend showing you letters."

"Friend? I don't understand."

"Yes, as a friend, someone you trust, someone you like just because of who they are inside. You wouldn't change or trade them for anything." She wasn't sure how else to explain the concept to the boy.

He blinked a few times, then nudged a piece of paper with an outstretched foot. "Show letters now?"

It was an awkward scene, the mood pensive. Ocelot, once she had demonstrated hand position, making sure Naruto was doing the same, had drawn out large letters, with stroke arrows showing the direction to make them.

She had to do this upside down and backwards, so that the nervous boy could see the various symbols from his own perspective.

"May I come closer, Naruto-kun? It would be easier for me to show hand positions." She waited while he made up his mind, then slowly moved to his side once he nodded.

He was shivering, the damage done by that man warring with his like of Ocelot.

"I'll be right here, Naruto-kun, where you can see me. Shall we make letters together?" She picked up two pencils, and began to write different symbols with either hand.

"Since you want to learn letters, and haven't done this before, why not try with both hands? This took me years to get down, but I wonder how long it would have taken if I had learned with both hands from the beginning, like you can."

His eyes had shifted from her chin to her hands, which was an improvement, heightened by the curiosity she could see growing. She could also see the frown of frustration starting, and was expecting it.

"Naruto-kun? Your grip is off, so, can I show you a better way? I'll have to get closer, so is that okay?" All the while, she kept her visage open and friendly. She never really expected to be doing this type of education, all while using the same skills to talk down building jumpers.

This nod came a bit slower, his head turning to watch her as she moved behind him, then brought her arms around his own. "It's like this, Naruto-kun," she said, as she shifted his attention back to his hands.

Her face was on his right, yet still her hair cascaded over his left shoulder. Naruto, breathing deeply of her scent, relaxed just a bit more, recalling this same scent from the wall running. He watched her larger hands...she had removed her gloves. Dusky skin traced his fingers, gently positioning his grip.

This was the first time he had seen her bare hands.

"We move like this, up, then over to the side with a bold stroke. This hand moves down in a squiggle. And then we switch so that the left makes the squiggle and the right makes the up-stroke and over."

It was then that she hugged him, feeling him go very still.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun. I dropped him as soon as I knew what was going on, but you still got hurt. I'm so sorry."

Her face was right beside his own, turning his eyes into her mismatched blue and green ones.

"It. It fine. Show, uh, show letters?" He didn't try to move, nor did he look away.

Giving him another squeeze, her right hand cupped his own around the pencil. Her left hand rose up and tousled his hair, to no flinch, before gripping his other hand loosely.

"Yeah. First though, let's keep working on those strokes, okay?" Though not as emotive as he was yesterday afternoon, what they had now was far better than when she first arrived today.

It would have been so much easier with Genjutsu, at least over the short term, to soothe his nerves and instill trust. Long term assignments though, such as this one, needed a very personal touch.

They had been working on this lesson for a solid hour, Ocelot was still positioned behind Naruto's right side, with the boy gradually leaning into her. He stilled when she did.

"Naruto-kun, I need you to hide for me, okay?"

He shifted out of her loose embrace, standing awkwardly for a moment, before he gripped her left shoulder of his own accord.

"Thank you for letters, Ocelot-sensei." He then ducked into the side bathroom.

Her lips twitched slightly as she unscrewed the cap on her canteen. The water spiraled in the air, forming a Mizu-bunshin perched in the corner above and behind the door hinges, dual tantos in its hands for close quarters. By now, both of them were masked.

A few minutes later, someone began briskly knocking on the door.

"Come." Her left hand shifted to the Half Ram position by her chin, while her right loosened her ANBU blade in its scabbard across her back.

The knob slowly turned before the door was pushed open to reveal a rather messed up Iruka, carrying several bags. His face had been worked over, and there was bruising vanishing beneath his collar.

Ocelot was familiar with the phrase 'time with Ibiki', having been on the receiving end once for gross insubordination when she was younger and thought herself immortal, as some mint green genin do.

"I am surprised to see you here; please state your business."

"I, I am here as part of my probation for the injuries I caused, and have been ordered to continue the education of Uzumaki Naruto. I have brought breakfast of rice balls and pickles and have a canteen of tea. We shall eat before we begin the lesson afresh."

She called over her shoulder, her eyes not leaving the chuunin. "Naruto-kun? Can you come here please?"

Iruka saw the reason for his treatment exit a side room and move behind the crouched and masked ANBU, the same one from yesterday. He didn't move, not even a scowl; he could feel the ANBU's anger.

The thing whispered something to its guard after a hooded glance in his direction.

"Naruto-kun has requested that you be escorted to the hospital for treatment, citing that you look worse the next morning than he normally does after a pain lesson and that the doctors there would most likely patch you up. He has opted to stay here since he is not really welcome there."

"You mean he's not welcome at the hospital?"

"I see you learned a new pronoun, Umino-san, and no, he's not exactly welcome. You will be okay by yourself here, Naruto-kun?" He nodded into her back. "We will return shortly."

He shifted to the left, behind the kitchen/living room dividing wall as she stood, motioning with her left hand for Iruka to leave first. Naruto waited a few minutes after the locked door closed before he moved back to the papers.

Glancing up at peripheral movement, he saw Ocelot by the door. He scuttled back behind the wall, not expecting her to be here.

"Ocelot left me behind to watch over you, Naruto-kun." She removed her mask, her tantos already in their sheaths in the small of her back, before stripping off her gloves. "Though I'm just a clone, would you like to continue the lesson?"

An anxious eye watched her. "A clone?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun, one made of water." The only motion she made was to crouch down with her back against the door.

"You don't smell like Ocelot-sensei." His tone was low.

"That's because I'm a clone, Naruto-kun. To have Ocelot's scent, I'd have to be wearing something of hers. I can stay right here if you want, where you can see me."

He slowly edged out from behind cover, moving back to his papers. Picking up a pencil in either hand, he tried to get the positioning right. After a moment, he glanced up at the Ocelot clone by the door. "Show grips again?"

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Once they were away from the complex and were moving towards the hospital, Ocelot asked, "Why did you show up looking like that? Angling for sympathy? It is both unbecoming and unprofessional."

"No, Ocelot-san, and you have every right to be angry with me. This was part of my probation, that unless Uzumaki-kun allowed treatment, I was to heal naturally, only to be treated for infection. I broke trust."

He didn't get to say anything else, as Ocelot spun, gripped him by his throat and flickered into an alley. She threw the man just as she exited the technique, sending him tumbling between piles of rubbish.

Before he even stopped moving, he was hauled up by his throat again and smacked into a brick wall. His feet left the ground and his hands instinctively wrapped around her wrist.

"You ruined so much work, you wretch. Strain your eyes upwards, worm."

He did so, seeing masks lining the alley from above.

"My comrades are there to make sure I don't kill you. If Hokage-sama hadn't sent you, we would not be having this conversation."

She pulled him away from the wall and released her grip on him. Before his feet even touched the ground, she had sent a chambered kick under his chin, breaking his jaw and sending him flying out of the alley.

She was there in an instant to haul him up by his hair. "On your feet, maggot. We still have a ways to go." In his bloody ear she hissed, " _Please resist_."

Iruka knew better than to do anything that stupid. As he got his feet under him, he simply nodded in understanding and hobbled to the hospital, cradling his broken arm. He had landed ungracefully.

Following him by a few paces, Ocelot continued in a more conversational tone. "Mitarashi-san will be back tomorrow. She taken quite a liking to young Uzumaki-kun, Umino-san. So if you have a doctor of choice, you might want to schedule ahead of time; I'm sure Anko will have much to discuss with you."

She let that sink in a moment. "And she's not nearly as nice as I am about things."

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Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, was different than the other major and minor shinobi villages. For starters, it was rather large and not at all hidden, as the outer defensive walls literally rose at least a hundred feet, if not more, _over_ the tallest tree in the verdant canopy. Though a light beige, it was spotless, austere, entirely intimidating, and very hard _not_ to notice.

Another thing was location. While the other shinobi villages took great measures to ensure their privacy and defensive positions, Kumogakure, or Hidden Cloud, even being built deep within a very treacherous glacial mountain range, Konoha was a little off center geographically, but well suited for easy access to all the major trade routes.

One other aspect was the civilian population: they were welcome. Konoha prided itself on its internal prosperity and class structure, welcoming civilians, craftsmen, tradesmen and merchants with open arms, and striving to find employment for everyone who so desired such. It wasn't an Utopian ideal by any standard, but it did make great strides to reducing poverty.

That's not to say there wasn't any poverty, but rather than it being a permanent blight, it was a temporary state, generally relegated to the newly arrived, refugees, and those citizens forced to start over for whatever reason. It was transitory.

Still, there were wards established in portions of the village for those people to find habitation before moving on to more agreeable environs. Even with Benevolence Hostels, there were always jobs to be had by those willing, and with a large village population in excess of one hundred thousand, there were many businesses seeking helpers and apprentices for the service, craft and trade sectors, not to mention public safety and health.

Due largely in part to the Kyuubi incident, Konoha actually had _underemployment_ , and probably would for several years to come.

Still, even if largely vacant, the village employed genin teams to service and maintain the wards, including recreation zones, under the watchful eyes of landscapers and building inspectors. This was for contingencies, should large scale damage occur within another section of the village or outside its walls to provide shelter and housing to the displaced. It was a good plan, a part of the Civilian Security Act and overall, it functioned smoothly enough to cause any overseer or Kage to smile.

Sarutobi was currently standing outside a small cluster of four buildings, thirty apartments per building, around a centrally located park. Yoshinibi stood behind and his the right, and he was definitely not smiling.

It was a little after 11:00, the morning spent reviewing reports, presiding over council meetings, and issuing new missions to his available shinobi force, and he could clearly see that this particular quad, part of a larger block of a neighborhood which comprised Ward 15, was in rather poor repair.

The park had been neglected for many years, the buildings which framed it had vacant windows, and an overall sense of emptiness permeated the area. It was as if this cluster of buildings had been set apart, pushed to the side, and forgotten, though not completely so judging by some of the more graphic and highly illegal graffiti scrawled on the exterior walls.

He made a mental note to get some Hunters out here to follow the scents back to whoever broke the Sandaime's Law regarding Naruto.

He felt anger and shame at what he was seeing, and cursed himself for never having walked here from this angle before. He had always Flickered to Naruto's location after a scouting orb verification, and while they might have walked to Ichiraku's together, it was in a different direction, and hid, rather well, the desolation and solitude.

Were it not for the most recent report from Anko and Ocelot, he seriously doubted he would have ever given this particular route and view a second thought, much less a first. There had never been any reported reason to even suspect that Naruto's life was this isolated, kept separate and ignored, punctuated with the occasional beating, correction, the occasional _reported_ beating. He was still finding misfiled reports, things that had never crossed his desk, documenting a history of abuses on multiple levels, from the physiological to the psychological.

"Hokage-sama, who is it that lives here, and why is it in this state? Not a street over the quads are maintained, and while not beautifully manicured, are pleasant and harmonious."

"That is a good question, Yoshinibi-san. Uzumaki Naruto lives here, in that building over there. According to the census reports, there should be ten other families here. In your folders are reports which show payment for completed maintenance on this particular ward as of two weeks ago. There seems to be issue with both statements. Come, we have a Ward of the State, an orphan from birth, to visit."

Startled by this information regarding the village pariah, she followed behind her Hokage. Though a civilian, she could feel his displeasure. She really hoped that she remembered to bring the tea he liked.

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Ocelot was showing Naruto how to hold a knife properly alongside the various ways to cut, slice, sliver and shave vegetables. Those were the overt actions. The covert ones were the introductions of tap codes and other silent languages, except for the restricted ones.

When she and Iruka had returned, the breakfast he had brought was gone, and his thermos emptied and rinsed. There hadn't even been a scent that they were still somewhere in the apartment.

Iruka had felt bothered by that, as if he was an enemy combatant. He knew his peace offering had been treated as a contaminated substance, but didn't know by whom. They had left Naruto alone, and he didn't get the sense that the skin-suit was responsible.

She glanced up, motioned for him to move besides her. "Hokage-sama comes."

Iruka, who had been looking over Naruto's paperwork, circling the letters and numbers made correctly, was surprised by her statement. He felt nothing for several minutes, until the party was approaching the apartment building.

"See to the door, Chuunin." The Jounin's tone was professional and cold, made even more-so by her ANBU mask.

Iruka awkwardly levered himself up, one of his arms in a temporary brace. Though the break was healed, muscles around it would be tender for a few days. He opened the door just as Sarutobi crested the stairs.

The Robes of State swishing around his feet, Sarutobi was bowed through the doorway, glancing up at the Mizu Bunshin on the ceiling. Inside the otherwise empty kitchen, Ocelot had take to a knee, Naruto following her lead at her side.

"Hokage-sama, greetings. I trust your walk was well?"

Iruka lost a bit of composure, jerking his head upwards to see the masked form of the agent a few feet to his side. He never knew she was up there. At least now he knew who was responsible for his offered breakfast disappearing.

"It was informative, clone-san. Continue your duty." His gaze rested briefly on Iruka and his brace, before turning to the others. His eyes softened considerably upon seeing Naruto. The boy was sending inquisitive looks to his guard.

_'I should have tapped her for this position years ago.'_

"Ji.." Naruto paused and took a pose that Sarutobi was familiar with, as the boy glanced askance at Iruka. The pose used the tightening of some muscle groups and the loosening of others to minimize hits or surface impacts. Ocelot, sensing this, lightly tapped his hand, the boy relaxing a bit.

_'Safe, Protect. Yes, she should have been his first tutor. So much time lost.'_ "At ease, everyone. This is mostly a social visit. I see you are looking well, Iruka-san."

"Hai, Hokage-sama, as per Uzumaki-kun's instruction. His brush work is satisfactory, especially after Ocelot-san demonstrated various handle grips. Penmanship will need a lot of work, but improvements are already noticeable, again thanks to Ocelot-san aiding Uzumaki-kun in finger positioning."

"There was a reason for you not demonstrating those?"

"I...I am working through issues, Hokage-sama. I did not think it prudent."

"At least you are honest, Iruka-san. There may be hope yet. Ocelot-san?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama. Naruto-kun has been learning how to prepare vegetables as I demonstrate basic culinary skills. If he continues his charming ways, it will not belong before he has a kitchen helper."

"One can always hope. If you would be so kind, assist Naruto onto the counter. I wish to speak eye-to-eye." Sarutobi had not yet been briefed on the new issues.

"Hokage-sama, there have been some complications and trust issues," she tipped her head towards Iruka, "since yesterday." Her fingers flickered, the code known only to Sarutobi inside that place.

_'Tutors from Hokage-sama break trust, Hokage-sama proxies.'_ He nodded to himself, then slowly knelt to the pops of his knees. Everyone's eyes were wide, with Yoshinibi slowly sinking down into a seiza, disbelief writ large on her face.

Sarutobi turned his face to Naruto's, seeing the boy look up. "I am have been thinking, Naruto-kun. Perhaps we can devise a system between the two of us. Know that you have my deepest respect for how you protect this village with every breath."

Iruka's eyes widened as the pen in his hand snapped. "When it is just you and me, please refer to me as Jijii. You remind me that I am me, not a title. When in the company of others, to reduce any possible contention, refer to me as Hokage-sama. Is that compromise agreeable?"

He could see that he had Naruto's complete attention, those blue eyes reminding him so strongly of the boy's father. "Can, um, Hokage-jijii?"

Sarutobi didn't miss the glance over his shoulder to the lightly choking Iruka, and could only imagine Yoshinibi's scandalized expression. "Hrm. How about this, and it will be our own little code: when it is you and I, along with people we know and trust, like Ocelot-san and Anko-san, you may call me Hokage-jijii.

"If there are people there you do not know, call me Hokage-sama; and if there are those who you do not trust, call me Hokage-sama and bow like this." Sarutobi gave Naruto a quarter bow at the waist with his left hand resting on his midriff, right around the navel. "Think you can remember that code?"

Naruto nodded gravely. He glanced over at Ocelot, before he turned back to Sarutobi. Taking a few steps forward, he place his small hand on the statesman's shoulder. "Thank you, Jijii." he whispered.

"Thank you for that, Naruto-kun. Despite the robes and hat, you still managed to remind me that I'm me. It is good to be appreciated, yes?"

He got a slight nod as the boy stepped back. "I will need to speak with Ocelot-san however. Will you be okay here?"

Naruto glanced up at the door corner and gave another brisk nod.

Stiffly, Sarutobi stood "Iruka-san, you are a bachelor, correct? Ah, good. Tend the pots. We will be back shortly. Yoshinibi-san, please attend. Ocelot-san, if you would follow."

Leaving a stunned Iruka, who suddenly found himself pulling kitchen patrol, Sarutobi ushered the two women into the bedroom, closed the door, and quickly put up a privacy seal.

"Explain yourself."

Yoshinibi was already kneeling, a pad and pen ready for notation, off to Sarutobi's side. Ocelot, however, had taken to both knees before the Hokage, and bowed forwards with her hands on the floor.

"I have become emotionally compromised, Hokage-sama. I can no longer be his primary."

"ANBU just can't be bullying and beating up the rest of my forces, Ocelot."

"Hai, Hokage-sama. But, when he said that he broke trust, when I had spent hours trying to fix what he broke, all I wanted to do was break _him_! Apologies, Hokage-sama, I lost my cool again."

She felt a hand upon her head. "A shinobi should not allow their emotions to dictate their actions, but having emotions which yearn to protect a child, that is not a bad thing. That said, Iruka's medical bills will come from your pay, understood?"

She nodded where she knelt, understanding the leniency being given. "You will also continue to be his primary. The boy needs someone to fight for him, and belatedly I realize that I should've given you this assignment from the beginning.

"Now then, on to other matters. Ocelot-san, I have read your report, but I was quite unprepared for the reality of his situation. How many are left in the quad?"

"One, Hokage-sama. Uzumaki Naruto. The last occupant, a long time resident, died about a month ago from what we can tell. The other buildings are vacant, though some show signs of some activity, none recent. It is possible that Naruto-kun also uses those apartments in his sleeping rotation."

"Sleeping rotation?" Sarutobi had begun pacing, a habit which helped him think. Ocelot had not budged from her dogeza.

"Hai, Hokage-sama. He uses a dart and calendar to determine which random apartment he will use for the night. It is entirely possible that he has a similar system for the other buildings."

"Clever. And what of the furnishings? Yoshinibi-san has several invoices for goods and furniture, and I know this apartment was once outfitted." His eyes took in the shabby conditions of the walls and ceiling.

"Gone, Hokage-sama. We only learned of this yesterday and duly reported the conditions. Anko-san and I can only surmise that such were either stolen or destroyed. I have taken the liberty of creating several simple storage seals both in here and in the bathroom for his clothing and personal hygiene supplies.

"I was also going to create a few in his kitchen to safeguard his food supply from tampering, which Anko purchased yesterday. According to Naruto, he mainly lives on water with the occasional ramen bowl."

Sarutobi started at that. "What? How is that possible? I have personally ensured that he had ready and available funds!"

"Indeed you have, Hokage-sama, as he showed both Anko-san and myself. But giving the boy all the money in the world won't help if none will sell to him. As far as we know, Ichiraku is the only business with an open door."

She paused as she sorted her thoughts. "I personally do not think that the entire market sector is against the boy, as all it would take is a few powerful people or groups to convince or threaten the rest into submission. Well, not so much what I think, but more of what I _want_ to believe. This is purely my own opinion."

"I understand you, Ocelot-san. I too do not want to believe the entire sector could be against him, with the exception of Ichiraku. This will be investigated. Before we head back to the others, I wanted to clarify something Anko-san had mentioned in her part of the report. Something about property ownership?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama. Anko-san was thinking that with the landlords gone, the buildings empty, and nobody providing upkeep, this place had been forgotten or pushed aside. Since it was obvious that this quad would not be missed, why not put it under the Uzumaki name? At least then, if there could be found those willing, he could garner rental income to supplement his shinobi pay grade, once he joins the ranks.

"Plus, well, Anko being Anko, she thought it would also 'shake those old farts up' should Naruto-kun be accorded a council seat for commercial property ownership of a certain size, though she understood that even if he did qualify, he would need a representative until he reached Chuunin rank or his majority at eighteen."

"It is a sound plan. Let us rejoin the others. Yoshinibi-san?"

"Minutes recorded, Hokage-sama." With that, he unsealed the room and led them back to the kitchen.

"Ocelot-san, until lunch is ready, have Naruto-kun learn his signature and how to spell his name. Umino-san, you will assist and advise. Yoshinibi-san, make the tea, for I like your tea and will have your tea." She blushed at the praise. "I will tend to lunch. You have your orders."

After a lunch of dumpling stew with rice balls framed by celery and carrot spears, Yoshinibi opened her satchel and pulled out a folder, handing it to Sarutobi. Checking the contents, he then passed it to Ocelot, who nearly dropped it once she saw what was inside.

The Genjutsu she had placed on her face had stupefied Naruto and a curious Iruka. The food seemed to vanish when it touched her mask. "Hokage-sama! Is this, I mean, forgive the outburst."

"There is nothing to forgive, and it is. Anko-san had a very good idea. I want you to be his sponsor and will gather Anko's signature later today. Umino-san will sign as witness, Yoshinibi-san will sign as the government official and I, of course, will affix the official Hokage seal."

Ocelot immediately signed the deed, marked her signature and explained to Naruto what the document meant. "You mean, this is something they can't break? Thank you, um....Hokage-jijii!" With Ocelot's verbal assistance, he slowly and carefully signed his name and marked it, the pride glowing in his eyes.

When the document got to Iruka, upon reading it he almost fainted. The skin-suit would become the owner of four apartment buildings totaling one hundred and twenty units, and the park space between the four buildings, well over 100,000 square feet in commercial property space total. Iruka knew the approximate locations for the twenty wards, with Ward 15 being roughly a quarter of a mile from the geographic village center.

With this quad in private ownership instead of under bureaucratic management, it would be a prime location within easy distance to the bulk of the central markets, several civilian schools, two main library branches and one of the Shinobi Preparation Centers.

Seated in the presence of the Hokage, he had little choice but to do as commanded, and it was a command. He signed his name as witness, nicked his thumb, and left his mark as he sat on Naruto's empty kitchen floor.

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There was a knock at the office door before Yoshinibi poked her head around it. "Pardon the intrusion, Hokage-sama. There is a Mitarashi Anko here to see you."

"Send her in."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." She opened the door further, admitting Anko and closing it behind her.

"Anko-san, just the person I wanted to see."

Anko, who had entered with a highly vexed expression, now sported one of guarded confusion. She instantly began scouring her memories for anything recently done which might be frowned upon, aside from emptying the kitchen of apartment six of hardware and place settings the night prior. "Good evening, Hokage-sama. How might I serve?"

"You may relax, Anko, you are in no trouble. All I require of you is a signature."

"A signature, Hokage-sama?"

"Indeed, as the co-sponsor of Uzumaki Naruto who will soon own his own apartment, the apartment building, the park behind it, and the other three buildings around the park."

She went from the door to the desk, leaning heavily upon it, in a flash. "Really?! That is wonderful! Little brat has something they can't break or steal easily! Where do I sign?" She then realized how and where she was leaning, and quickly took a step back and straightened. "Apologies, Hokage-sama. I am happy for the little turd though."

"I rather noticed, Anko. If you would, sign on this line and leave your mark. That will finalize the deed. For once, I feel that I have finally done something right for the boy. Speaking of which, any injuries done to Umino will come out of your own pocket, understood?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama." He could tell she was counting how much cash she could afford to lose inside her mind.

"Of course. Now then, not that I don't mind seeing my shinobi, but what brings you here, Anko-san?"

Anko who had signed and left her mark, blushed deeply before she recomposed herself. She reached into her trench coat and pulled out an object, holding it up for display. "What is this? Ibiki had me going nuts, then he hands me this!"

What she held was roughly a square foot in size, constructed of treated leather. It had a soft point on one side, with the opposite side having a wide-mouthed spout, sealed firmly with a cork. "That, I believe, is a hot-water bottle, Anko-san."

" _Hot. Water. Bottle._ " He could hear her teeth grind.

"Perhaps if you start at the beginning, you will save yourself a trip to the dentist. You may speak freely."

She scowled briefly, then began to recount her day. "Ibiki-san had me meet him at one of the orphanages this morning, and for the next three hours, the scarred scrotum had me bottle-feeding and diaper changing those little snots. It was very vile, Hokage-sama, and you should consider using them in the next conflict. The anal spewage and projectile vomiting alone would act was a wonderful deterrent.

"I really don't know what they've been fed, but it had a very nasty output. Three hours of that and I had to smile and couldn't lose my temper, or I'd be forced to do it again tomorrow. Just when I thought I could take no more, he pulls me aside, thanks the matrons, and has me go change.

"Then the bastard has me meet him at one of the Shinobi Centers, where I was to baby-sit thirty shrieking banshees until Ibiki-san got tired. I was there for five hours, and I had to smile, feed them, escort them to the toilet and could not lose my temper, or I would do it again tomorrow in addition to the morning shift at the Public Benevolence Hostel.

"Just when I'm about to rid the world of future fan-girls, Ibiki-san thanks the caretakers and pulls me off to another location clear across town.

"He leaves me there in the company of five very drunk retired shinobi, and I had to get directions from them to the next meeting point. Each one thought they were alone with me, so I soon had five drunken, shouting, groping retired shinobi from whom I had to receive directions.

"I had to keep their drinks coming, could not lose my temper, could not raise my own voice, nor could I hurt or otherwise incapacitate them or I would be back there tomorrow after pulling a morning feeding shift at the Hostel and a babysitting rotation at the Center.

"He gave this to me at the last meeting spot thirty minutes ago before vanishing on me. It's going on 18:00. It is becoming _very_ difficult to contain the urge to cause grievous bodily harm to certain people."

Sarutobi had been seated, with his hands steepled to hide his knowing grin during Anko's retelling of events. "The hot water bottle is traditionally filled with boiling water and then placed on sore or aching muscles and joints. It can also be used as a bed warmer."

Sarutobi stood and came around the desk to face Anko. "The fact that he gave you one is his way of saying that you will need something to soothe your aching muscles very soon. Congratulations, Mitarashi Anko, apprentice to Morino Ibiki."

Anko stood silently, an unreadable expression on her face as she processed this information. She glanced down, then back up at the Hokage before her, and for a brief moment, acted her fifteen years as she pumped her fists and performed a sort of standing run before hugging the Hokage tightly. giving him a large wet kiss on his forehead.

"ThankYouThankYouThankYou! I'll give you the _best_ damn massage you have _ever_ experienced! _THE_ Morino Ibiki!" She gave an uncharacteristic fan-girlish squeal, and was gone in a flicker leaving a slightly stunned and very bemused Sarutobi alone in his office.

She kept her promise later that evening, with the assistance of Matron Ana and a small team of servants under Ana's direction. Through the judicious usage of steamed towels, incense, scented oils, E-rank Lightning techniques and Anko's very nimble and strong fingers, elbows and palms, the God of Shinobis, the vaunted Fire Shadow of Konoha, was turned into a very happy and limber man. It was indeed the best massage he had ever experienced.

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Naruto awoke in the forest, a soft smile on his face as he felt the embrace of his Safe Place. A week had passed, his vocabulary growing as his throat grew accustomed to speech.

**"You have done well, Naruto. You are well on your way now."**

"Thank you, Kurama-sensei. I did as you asked of me and looked through all of the lesson books which Tutor-sensei had brought over."

**"I see that you did, though I am certain you were confused. If you looked at a page, even if you could not read it, the page would still be in your memory for a short amount of time. That gave me enough time to copy those memories, which allowed me to do this."**

The fox sat back on his hind legs, supported in part by his tails, and brought his paws together. As he drew them apart, the workbook for practicing letters and lines was there resting in his paws. **"This is a visual memory. With this, should you create paper or a slate board, you can practice while your body outside sleeps."**

"So that means I can keep learning?" Kurama could feel the tug from his promise.

**"Indeed, kitling. I said that I will help you learn, and I will. With the books you looked through, it will make it easier for both of us."**

"So, I can do this with any book, Kurama-sensei?"

**"Or scroll, and I don't see why not. I would recommend that you let me know beforehand so that I can watch for those memories. Once your literacy improves, you will find that something read will last longer in your mind, some things staying with you for the entire span of your life.**

**"Other things, especially when first learning a skill or technique, will only stay in your memory for a short while. Humans call this 'short term memory'. With a little bit of warning, I can capture those memories for later study, once your own mind had already forgotten. Now then, let us continue."**


	8. Schism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous chapter: Further consequences for Iruka, and Naruto gains something not easily stolen or broken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi. Zatoichi is the property of its respective owners.

Kurama watched as his master, host and student flexed his mind. It had been a month since their initial reading lesson, and the boy had flourished. Granted, Kurama recommended that Naruto tweak time just a bit, such as he did when that fool of a monkey paid a visit.

In a month's time, they had managed to cram in two years' worth of lessons, every single night and during meditative times. Naruto was literate, though not widely read, and could write fluidly. It had taken several 'months' before the boy shifted from technically precise copies into his own personal style.

Kurama had even resorted to creating books and scrolls of things Kurama himself had read to keep the boy in material, or Kurama would resort to verbal histories, stories and lessons. The perfect teacher, he gave praise and corrected gently, showing how something was done instead of just explaining it. Given the promises he made, and the seal upon his brow, he had no other choice. The result was breathtaking in the crispness, clarity and sheer vitality of Naruto's mental forest.

Naruto's imagination was something else that Kurama was sure to hone and use. It wasn't often that one could read a story and see it played out before an audience at the same time. So Kurama was the witness to huge dogs chasing bright yellow balls, mystic warriors flipping through impressive though impossible maneuvers, and even the mythic dragon battles from when the world was created as Naruto would read those stories, legends and myths. The boy was growing in quite unexpected ways.

Although several major kinks had been tossed into Kurama's plans, he was anything if not patient, patience borne from thousands of years of existence. He could afford to be patient here, as Naruto needed time to bolster his mind, spirit and body. When the boy grew stronger and more capable, so too would Kurama's security and vitality. It was a necessary thing, for more than one reason.

He could still recall those dulled blue eyes, impassive as the child gripped his neck and legs, and tried to pull him apart.

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Iruka was a conflicted man. He had the soul of a teacher, yet did not want to teach a child and was forced to do just that. Fine, okay, he could adapt and overcome. So he began to teach the boy the pure basics once it was discovered that the child in question was almost completely illiterate.

He began to notice the changes almost immediately from the sudden grasping of mechanics, the changes of hand positioning from one day to another, and the subtle shifting in choice of spoken words. Within a week, Iruka knew he was either dealing with an unexpected prodigy of the highest caliber or a third party instructor of infinite patience.

What made his skin prickle was the knowledge of who that instructor must be, and what else the boy might be taught within the secret confines of his mind. During this time, Iruka had shifted away from calling the boy a skin-suit, finally realizing that Kyuubi had not taken over the body.

Hokage-sama, however, didn't see Naruto as a threat, although if Iruka looked at things a little bit sideways, perhaps there was a hidden threat. Teach the boy, make him loyal, or something else might gain such instead. Iruka could see the sense there, and could also see why imprisonment or confined banishment would fail as well: there would be none to monitor what the child was taught from the enemy inside.

There was something else that had happened later that August, a rather new experience for Iruka which further caused internal conflict. He was the victim of discrimination, which in turn led him to feel unwanted empathy towards the Kyuubi's keeper.

It began simple enough; he went to one of the Public Library branches to check out some children's and teen adventure stories and a few almanacs for the main elemental nations. For the life of him, despite his Hunter training, could not find a single worker, helper or librarian in the entire building. This happened in two other branches before he descended upon the main library where he discovery that his account had been suspended.

His library card was no longer valid, but could be renewed in November, which Iruka knew would be the end of his probation. If he had a problem with this policy, he could bring it before the Civilian Council, as they had jurisdiction, on the next Public Grievance Hearings date, also in November.

Gritting his teeth in frustration and appalled at how Naruto's stink had stuck to him, Iruka then went to the main Shinobi library where again he found his leasing permit to have been temporarily revoked as a security concern. The tale he was told was that someone impersonating Iruka had checked out some materials and never returned them, and since they knew Iruka would never do something like that, then someone must've stolen his identity. The revocation was for his own safety and security, but they were sure to have it all sorted out by November.

This time, it was a Shinobi matter, so he scheduled an appointment with the Hokage, was admitted rather quickly, and related to Hokage-sama his plight. The Hokage had Iruka wait there and Flickered away, returning some five minutes later with an apologetic look on his face.

"I am sorry, Iruka-san, but there is little to be done. They do have valid concern, and even if such were falsehoods, I could not replace everyone. It takes many years to train up a good librarian, one who knows where everything is and can find anything with the walls quickly. But I have every confidence in your abilities. That was one of the reasons for my originally giving you this mission. Improvise, adapt and overcome. I look forward to your progress report."

So it was that Iruka became conflicted. Since Naruto was due to enter the Academy in November, it would not do to obtain the classroom texts, as that would be unfair to the other students. Not being able to lease books or scrolls, and quite unwilling to spend his own cash for such to teach the boy, Iruka resorted to oral tradition and told Naruto stories.

He was not privy to the irony that Naruto's hidden instructor, Kurama, had also resorted to this same method.

It was towards the end of August when Iruka touched upon his younger years and some of his exploits and pranks. Naruto, who had been duly writing everything down in a flowing script from across the room, suddenly looked up with interest.

This was the first time the boy had physically looked at him. Under that intensely focused attention, Iruka told of his attention-seeking years. Copies of a masked ANBU added to his discomfort; since that first day, he had not been left alone with the child.

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It was during September that Naruto's focus shifted to practical skills, provided by a willing Ocelot, hyperactive Anko and reluctant Iruka. Iruka was reluctant both from his base feelings for the child, which hadn't really improved, and the fact that he had been outmaneuvered by the little bastard's glib tongue.

"Iruka-sensei, do you think you could teach me something new? I've demonstrated I can write rather well, my speech has improved alongside my vocabulary, and as for reading, well, we both know I'm not allowed in those places, and now you're not allowed either. I can empathize with your plight, Iruka-sensei; trust me when I say that I know the feeling of being slighted rather well."

"That's not the point, Naruto-kun. I was instructed to teach you only literacy: reading, writing and speech."

"Ah, yes, I remember that too. Granted, that was before your visit with Ibiki-san, where upon you were charged to _teach_ me. Teaching is more than the written word, Iruka-sensei. Am I not a willing student?"

"No, Naruto-kun, you are a willing student, one which has been full of surprises."

"So you will teach me other skills then, yes Iruka-sensei? Education _is_ a life-long path, after all, for what don't learn don't live, what don't live can't breathe, and what can't breathe dies. You don't want me to die from asphyxiation, do you Iruka-sensei? That is a terrible way to die."

He noted Iruka's hesitancy to answer the question with an internal grin, full of teeth. "I'll take your silence as a 'yes, that is a terrible way to die'. Besides, Iruka-sensei, just think of how this will look on your report in a few weeks. Hokage-sama will be most pleased."

Naruto was essentially right, which was rather galling, for back when it was still a mission, Iruka was to simply teach the boy how to read and write. Afterwards, as a probationary task, it was to educate, a much broader term with many definitions, one of which the blond snot latched onto and refused to relinquish.

He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not that Naruto had began conversing with him. The boy was the only one there who would, outside of orders from the ANBU. He was not allowed to call her Ocelot. Anko, though engaging with Naruto, would sniff at him and plainly state that she didn't associate with child beaters.

Added to this was the silent pressure from the others. Here, he was the outsider, as there had been times he had heard them all talking, only to go silent when he approached the apartment. Once inside, there would be ANBU, and sometimes a silent Anko, with a still Naruto, all watching him.

So, to fill out his probationary time, and to pad his reports a bit, Iruka introduced life skills and control exercises. Given the boy's massive reserves, even at this young age, any improvement in chakra control under his tutelage would look golden.

He _needed_ to look golden, given his opening mishandling of events. That had set the tone, and Iruka had started dreading his daily walk here. He was not to be trusted.

A case in point had been when Hokage-sama, through an intermediary, had delivered appropriate furnishings for Naruto's small apartment, so at least he would have at least the basics and in perfect repair. Iruka, while arriving that day, had gotten that information only from the delivery personnel and Genin teams which had been involved.

Naruto, knowing full well what would happen in October, had taken the added step of studying the storage seals which Ocelot and Anko had created. Using his learned calligraphy and penmanship skills, not to mention his growing intellect, he taught himself how to make one.

This, in turn, led to a series of small storage seals throughout his apartment, into which his furniture and appliances would be sealed when he was elsewhere. An added precaution was an extra futon sealed within a storage scroll for his nightly room change, which he kept on him at all times.

Iruka didn't know about the boy's paranoia, but by the time he had arrived, nothing was visible. He had assumed, wrongfully, that ANBU-san was responsible for hiding everything. While Ocelot had been there, it was more in a supervisory role to ensure Naruto did not make any mistakes. That all said, when he asked about the delivery, he was simply told it was safe.

Even the state of the boy's furnishings had become a need-to-know item, and he was not on the entrusted list.

The only time ANBU-san and Anko had included him in anything, was when Iruka, coming from a nautical family background, touched on the topic of knots. When Iruka demonstrated intermediate to advanced knots, he was surprised at how easily Naruto understood the basic forms they were built upon. Added to this were some fishing and mooring knots which Anko had not known.

As repayment, the mercurial teen taught him two one-hand seals. ANBU-san had known a further three, allowing Iruka to sit in on the lesson as they all taught Naruto. Though an esoteric skill, Anko had been insistent so that she would not owe him anything.

When his daily three hours were up, the boy would politely thank him. Iruka didn't always leave though, sometimes lingering at the edge of the property, or watching from a distance.

The control exercises he taught, he would witness being used. Naruto would run around the exterior of one of the buildings, on its wall. Anko would sometimes play with him, as they tossed leather balls at each other. ANBU-san would dance with him while Anko tapped out a rhythm.

Sometimes, he would hear braying laughter from Anko, followed by the boy. It seemed she was teaching him to laugh in the most obnoxious of ways. These things, however, were only when Iruka was not there.

In this abandoned and forgotten quad, he was the interloper. It was hard not to feel some resentment, but there really wasn't much he could do about it. He'd just have to suck it up until November.

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It was the second week of October, and Naruto had been understandably nervous. He knew when his birthday was, and knew that day had never ever been kind to him. So he was rather surprised when Ocelot and Anko met him on the eve of his birthday, the morning of the ninth.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun."

"Good morning as well, Ocelot-san and Anko-san."

"Hey there brat. Come, we have some surprises for you, but first, how about we treat you to an all-you-can-choke-down ramen fest?" Anko grinned broadly as she crouched down to his eye-level.

"Hey, Ocelot-san, check it out. Naruto, stand next to your height mark we made the first day." Naruto eyed the mark on the door-jamb. It didn't seem as high as it used to be.

"Ah, that is good news. Hold still, Naruto, so we can mark your new height. It looks like you've grown a few inches. Be sure to thank Kurama-sama for helping your body use the meals we've taught you."

Though she had no real love for the kitsune lord, she wasn't sure if it could hear through Naruto or not. Ocelot was a sensible soul though, and figured respect would go further than insults.

His smile was slight as he nodded, but they could see the warmth. They waited patiently as he quickly ran through his apartment making everything vanish into hidden seals. They understood full well this particular ritual of his.

"It's a good thing the clothing you picked for him was on the long side. If this keeps up, he'll probably need another measure after the new term starts." Ocelot nodded, watching as Naruto finished securing his possessions. Once he was finished, he locked up and took their hands, of his own accord, as they walked towards Ichiraku's.

"After we do this, we'll be heading to the Hokage's estate for the weekend, Naruto-kun. You have been cordially invited and are expected there by 15:00. This should give you plenty of time to enjoy your ramen without rushing. Tutor-san has been given the weekend off as well, so that he might enjoy the Festival should he choose to attend."

They reached Ichiraku's in good time through very light traffic, it still being fairly early in the morning. Instead of heading to the front, Ocelot led the party into the alley and through the shop's backdoor. Naruto was seated at the break table with Ocelot at his side, while Anko moved to the front stools.

It was Ayame who really made Naruto's morning, as sporting a rosy blush, she offered him his very own ramen bowl, crafted by both Teuchi and his daughter to their Number One customer. With a glance at Ocelot, who nodded, he bowed deeply to the family. He was surprised when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder, and pulled him brusquely into a hug.

This was joined a moment later by Ayame. "Happy birthday, Naruto-kun," began Teuchi. "You haven't been around lately. Have you been two-timing me with another diner?" His gravelly voice, tinted with humor, vibrated through the boy's body, scent thick with spices.

Shifting a bit, his arms slowly wrapped around the both of them. "My apologies, Teuchi-san. We've been keeping young Naruto busy with his studies and life skills." There was a small hiccup, and the embrace tightened. "Naruto-kun thanks you for your care, concern, and gift."

Over the boy's head, Teuchi gave Ocelot a warm smile, and nodded. Ayame, having felt the growing boy's mane, disengaged herself and dashed upstairs. She returned after a moment with a hairbrush, taking Naruto's shoulder and guiding him towards a chair.

To her eyes, given she hadn't seen the boy in months, his hair had exploded in length. It, like the rest of his body, had grown with the improved diet and tenant assistance. He stiffened as the brush made its first pass; by the fifth, he had begun to lean back into the older girl.

Teuchi let them be, as brushing Ayame's hair out had always calmed the child when she was upset. He served Anko first to give the boy more time to collect himself.

Anko enjoyed a bowl at the counter before unsealing several helpings of dango she had stored earlier that morning. She knew there wouldn't be many out this early, it being a little after 06:00, but she expected a few more than the empty plaza around them. It was quiet, like a blanket had been draped over the area. She couldn't feel any external chakra though, nor did anything seem out of place. Several discreet dispersals did nothing.

She caught Ocelot's eye just as six people dropped from the surrounding rooftops, three on either side of the stand. Two from each group grabbed the third as they landed, using the stored energy from the drop to hurl their companions towards the counter, following in their wake.

Teuchi, who had been refilling Anko's tea was shoved back towards the kitchen by Anko as she hollered, "Ambush!" Smashing her fist on the counter, her empty dango skewers danced, before they were flicked in both directions along the counter top.

The bodies hit awkwardly, sliding down its short length before coming to a rest. Anko was already in motion as she hopped onto the stool with her hands, performing a tight helicopter kick; her flicked skewers, lodged in eyes, exited the backs of skulls.

Scissoring her strong legs around one of their necks, she hunched and twisted in her handstand, flipping the corpse around to serve as shield against a sudden rain of senbon needles.

In that span, Ocelot had grabbed a stunned Naruto with one hand, opened the backdoor with her other, then spun on her heel out of the doorway. She hit the alley at a run, Naruto hugged against her chest to protect him from rear attacks. She leapt out of the alley's mouth in a series of one-handed round-offs, dodging the hail of kunai from two of the attackers from the right. There was a scream from inside the shop, but Ocelot had to keep moving. Naruto's safety was paramount.

Inside the shop, the two from the left charged, with one splitting off at the last moment to slide across the counter, where he grabbed the other dead man, and hurled him back towards Anko. That done, he turned into a large mass of boiling water and airborne noodles, substituting with a mop to avoid the massive burns which would have ensued. With a cruel smile, twin kunais were whipped upwards out of his pouch and sent speeding into the chef's back before he turned and dashed out into the alleyway.

Ayame screamed as she saw her father fall and performed a running tackle to knock him just a little off course from the steaming mess on the kitchen floor. The noodles and water themselves had mostly cleared the counter.

Anko had shifted her meatshield around to block the other corpse. Picking up a dango-filled skewer with her toes, it was sent with unerring accuracy into her opponent's eye as she flipped out of her handstand. Staggering from the blooming pain, he dropped his kunai, barely registering when he was grabbed and spun into boiling broth.

The scream had barely left his throat before Anko sent her Hidden Snake Hands to his crotch. Kicking his dropped kunai up, she planted it up to its grip in his forehead.

As she hopped the counter, the scent of boiled flesh fresh in her nostrils, she yelled out to the shocked Ayame, "Hit the damn Panic Button! I'll help Teuchi-sama, you hit that fucking button until your fingers bleed! Do it!"

In the street, Ocelot ended her flip onto the side of a building in a crouch, sped towards the ground to avoid thrown kunais. She had almost landed when she heard "Detonate!" Her world went white, curled protectively around Naruto.

Within moments they could see again, Naruto gazing up at Ocelot from the ground. He saw her smile, her mask having been knocked away from the flash-tag explosions, and then grimace as he saw the silvery sliver of steel slide through her chest. She hunched forward and slapped both hands along the flat and back of her ANBU sword as it was pushed through her in an attempt to impale them both. She prevented them from pulling it out and then shifted to the side to protect Naruto.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun....please...for..."

The air became heavy, oppressive, pushing on the three men who had moved back to regroup and to clear the way for jutsu usage as a sound split the air. It keened, waned, then waxed heavy, the young voice splitting and cracking from the strain, hoarsely giving voice to grief, anguish and misery. The sound wound up, high and broken, staining the early morning air in shades of personal loss.

As one, they began their jutsu chain, having practiced extensively. Only a demon could make that sound, themselves forgetting that they too had once made such a noise, back when they first felt loss. They had simply never given it voice, keeping their howls of grief inside.

The terrible sound ceased, followed by a raging grunt at Naruto's left hand came up, twisting in to a seal. His right hand rose up in an open claw,

_::Behind the men, columns of liquid but dry dirt formed out of the roadway, topped by a three-fingered 'claw'.::_

clenched his fist tightly,

_::The serpentine columns curved gracefully over the heads of the men as the clawed ends wrapped around their heads.::_

and yanked his right hand downwards.

_::The columns retracted into the ground so fast that the bodies of the men were flipped backwards, spines bent and popping from the strain. Then, as if a string was cut, the bodies dropped to the ground. Blood sprayed from the headless, lessening as the hearts slowed.::_

There was silence, except for Ayame's cries from inside the stand. And then there was a flopping sound, as it began to rain sandals. Naruto didn't have eyes for any of that though. All he could see was Ocelot, smiling at him.

Moving mechanically, he picked up her mask, wincing slightly at his mangled left hand. With reverence, he knelt by her side and positioned the mask to cover her face. "It is a reminder," he heard in his mind, Ocelot's voice so strong. He sat there, watching her mask.

That is how Sarutobi found him once he arrived not a few moments later, having been in motion since the first Panic light went off in his office. Naruto was simply sitting there, staring at Ocelot as he rocked back and forth.

It would take several hours to find the heads, or what was left of them. The holes they had been pulled through were easy to find. The only intact skull was found at a depth of two meters. Fresh fragments went deeper.

Whatever had caused this was either a new technique, or one which Sarutobi had not learned during his long and studious life. Given that the only one alive out here on their arrival had been Naruto, that narrowed the field considerably. As it stood though, his eyes were open, but he was otherwise unresponsive.

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Kurama had been enjoying a nap, keeping tabs on the 'outside' world with half an eye, when he first heard Naruto's anguish. Within half a breath, he was experiencing it as massive trunks exploded in shrapnel, driven by super heated sap and steam, sending hundred of feet worth of massive timber tumbling down from on high.

Massive rifts formed as solid stone spikes shafted up from the depths, belching forth poisonous gasses as the spikes and columns smashed into each other in a shower of sparks and ricocheting slivers, sent scything into the undergrowth. Gouts of steam rose in muddy clouds, obscuring the many flower fields, now filled with ruin. Massive root bulbs were torn out of the ground as earthquakes toppled other trees, sending them into each other in a cacophonous chain-reaction.

Through all this, dodging debris and the errant lightning strike, already responsible for a sizable fire off to the west, was Kurama. This was the system shock he had been dreading, since as the mind created, so could it too destroy, and there would be Kurama, right smack in the middle of it all, prevented from getting any larger. If he were his normal three hundred foot height, he might have been a bit inconvenienced. He could have not only ridden this out, but possibly profiting from the mental chaos.

Stuck in the size of a year old fox kit, however, removed most of those luxuries, so it was up to Kurama to save his own pelt until such time as Naruto's mind settled down. Only then he could take stock of his surroundings, see how bad the damage was, and move from there.

He still couldn't move directly against the boy, thanks to that infernal oath seal, but he might be able to move obliquely. Time would tell, but first Kurama had to survive that long in a rather inhospitable environment.

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Naruto would remain unresponsive through November, watched over and tended by Matron Ana and her crew at the Hokage's estate. Though he was signed up for the Academy and scheduled to attend on November 1, he would miss the first term.

His absence would not prevent his name from being entered in the twice yearly Genin Exam, held every May 1 and November 1. Uzumaki Naruto gained his first Fail rating, even before he ever attended a class. This deception would be lost in paperwork for several years.


	9. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous chapter: The death of Ocelot and Naruto's first original technique.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

It had been a busy month for Anko, since as soon as she was debriefed, Interrogation was swarmed with incidence reports. Normally, eyewitness accounts and sundry were handled by the Uchiha-managed Konoha Police Force, but in this matter they had wisely decided it was a Shinobi, not a Civilian, matter and should be handled by the Shinobi bureaus.

This, in turn, saved themselves from the paperwork and inevitable headache which came with the Kyuubi Container. It came as no surprise to Anko that though the market around Ichiraku's was void of life until after the Hokage arrived, there were thousands of eyewitnesses, all with alibis, and all awake and aware at the time of the attack.

They had all watched her best friend get murdered.

She still had a job to do, though processing all those claims was not what made her busy. Rather it was filling in for everyone else who was pulled aside for the investigation. Since she was part of the incident, she was not allowed to directly or indirectly participate; the only thing she had to do with the investigation was through her initial reports and her answers to three interviews.

All those evil little tasks that Ibiki had Anko perform those months back all came back to haunt her, as she had to clean and hand-feed some prisoners, escort and babysit prisoners, and gather information from belligerent or reluctant prisoners, all without losing her temper or resorting to violence. "Probationary period." was what Scarface had called it. Anko personally thought that Ibiki was trying to take away all the fun in life.

This was essentially the second time she had been away from the office, since, from the beginning of the inquest, she had literally lived at Interrogation, as they did have quarters and facilities for employees should sessions run long. The first time out was very briefly for Ocelot's funeral, held the day after the attack.

There was quite a turnout, with the Hokage's group consisting of Naruto, Matron Ana, and Ayame. She hadn't had the time to talk with Naruto then or after, didn't even have time to grieve in her 'normal' way, which usually involved a lot of alcohol, some property damage, and a weekend in Detox.

She would have to thank Ibiki for that some day, as he kept her too busy to sink into sullen depression. She did miss her friend though, and would honor her like she did her very few other friends who had died along the way: a bottle of sake poured on their grave marker. She wondered idly whether it was a good or bad thing that she had so few to honor, as that sword cut both ways.

It was a passing thought, something to distract her from the white-smocked banshee before her.

"Public appearance." Ibiki had said. So even though this hussy was really pissing her off, Anko knew better than to smack her around or sic her snakes; an upset Ibiki was an unpleasant Ibiki. So she stewed, tried not to clench her hands tight enough to draw blood, and held her tongue.

She noticed the presence and identified it right before the small hand touched her own balled up fist, saving her from starting in surprise and having a bad reaction. When she saw the nurse's eyes flick down to Anko's side and scowl, she unclenched her fist and let her blood-drained hand wrap around Naruto's own.

"Hrm, what seems to be the problem, Ayoba, correct? What troubles you, Nurse Ayoba?"

Anko, still watching the nurse's face, was internally amused at how quickly the color drained, the brow smoothed, and the eyes widened in shock. She could almost hear the woman's vertebrae creak in protest as she whipped her head to the side.

"Ho..Ho..Hokage-sama! I..I didn't see you there!" she exclaimed, turning to face Sarutobi and bending low at the waist.

"Indeed. I couldn't help but notice the rather intense one-sided conversation taking place in this particular hallway outside this particular door. Perhaps if you would be so kind, Nurse Ayoba, you could ease my confused mind as to why this is so?"

Anko watched from her stationary position, reading the non-verbal clues, her vexation lifting for a moment. She had a feeling that if the Old Man flexed even a little bit of his intent, this hall would need a clean-up crew.

"I'm waiting, Nurse Ayoba. It is rather poor form to keep your Hokage waiting."

"Hokage-sama, if I may answer for Nurse Ayoba, as your manly presence has rendered her mute," interjected Anko dryly, "Nurse Ayoba was merely explaining extemporaneous hospital policy on why I was not allowed to visit a certain ramen chef during Visiting Hours. I have the feeling that Uzumaki-kun would have received the same lecture, only with visual aids."

Sarutobi nodded and briefly let slip a small amount of intent, and the sound of water hit the floor. "You are dismissed, Nurse Ayoba, and this action will be noted with your supervisors. But first, clean up this mess. Come Anko, Naruto, we have family to meet."

Leaving a stunned and shamed nurse behind, they entered Teuchi's room, where Ayame quickly pulled Naruto into a hug. She didn't notice the boy stiffen as she lifted him and brought him before Teuchi. Sarutobi had been insistent that Teuchi stay hospitalized so that a battery of tests could be run. He too had lost many, and would not allow his Shogi partner to die from a poison or toxin which was missed in the haste to return him to normalcy.

Sarutobi held Anko back briefly. "This is the first time he's really responded," he whispered softly. "He was essentially an automaton, going through the motions as he came to terms. We would talk with him, or rather we would talk in the same room as him. His taking your hand was the first time he's done something spontaneous."

"Understandable. I know you're not supposed to say anything to me, and I'm not supposed to ask. Thing is though, I'm mad, Hokage-sama. I'm very angry, and I'm not allowed to vent my frustrations at having the very few people important to me being killed or hurt. _They watched her die!_ " she hissed in a whisper.

"You'll have to get in line, Anko. It isn't often that an ANBU is killed within their home village by a comrade. There are many angry shinobi right now," said Sarutobi as he saw a hesitant Naruto get pulled into an Ichiraku sandwich. "Come Anko, we've the living to visit and much work to do."

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Sarutobi gazed out of his office windows towards the main commercial district, sheaves of paper littering his desk, besides which stood a cluttered white-board.

 _'Do they connect? Hatake hadn't screwed up quite as bad as that single dereliction. Granted, the man had a laundry list of screw-ups and cover-ups. But that dereliction, abandoning his post when he should have been guarding Naruto was different, as he was reputed to have been seen en route to the Memorial Stone at about the same time as were Ocelot and Anko, where they found a confused Naruto.'_ He turned back to the white-board.

_'Then we have the ambush on Naruto. The investigation found, let's see here, fifteen other buried flash bombs around Ichiraku's, placed at ten-foot intervals on every road or alley leading from the ramen stand. This ambush, was it to kidnap or kill?'_

He picked up a folder, flipping it open to a shinobi profile. _'Two retired Chuunins and four Genin washouts. No family, no relations in Konoha, and even their friends and companions offered to undertake a Yamanaka probe. All six had insurance policies through a private company in Sea Country.'_ He tapped his finger to his chin in thought, then pressed a Call button. "Yoshinibi, please inform Danzou that his presence is requested."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Ten minutes later, Yoshinibi knocked on and opened the office door, bowing as the heavily bandaged Danzou stiffly entered. She reentered a moment later carrying a tea service, pouring two cups of green tea before exited the office.

"When is your next check-up, Danzou-san? You seem in pain."

Danzou, the Director of Special Intelligence and its Gray-Ops division ROOT, grimaced and stood besides the offered chair, using its back as support. "Hrmph. We've both felt worse."

"Indeed. Seeing as how we're both busy men, I'll cut to the chase. How soon before the Sea Country angle is covered?"

"Hrm, should be by the first week of December. I sent two squads which should be making landfall soon. Also, your _Mistake_ has been spotted in Rice."

Sarutobi sighed heavily and frowned. "Must you always call it that?"

"My apologies, Hokage-sama, but if it looks like a dog and smells like a dog..."

"Point taken, Danzou-san. What is the snake up to this time?"

"His own Tower, of course." Sarutobi's eyebrows rose. "With your permission, I'll continue monitoring and if you so desire, I can ensure his construction efforts will be a frustrating experience."

Sarutobi chuckled and took a long sip of tea. "Do that, old friend. Unless you have something further, I won't keep you from your duties and comfy chair."

"Actually, there is a small matter regarding a certain blond and earthen tentacles. With such an ability, he could be a major asset to the village if properly trained."

"He will be trained," said Sarutobi with a frown, "but with his peers. I will not have him further isolated and turned into solely a weapon. Yes, for the work you do, he would be the ideal candidate for hitting soft targets and infrastructural supports, yet without others around him to remind him of what people are and how they interact, he would become a danger to himself and others. A very grave danger."

"But..."

"He was very close to Ocelot, Danzou-san. Her death has been a major setback in his growth. What do you think would happen if he were to be placed in your training program in such a fragile mental state?"

"I see. Perhaps you are right this time, old friend."

"I hope so as well. Once he advances to Chuunin, more doors will be open to him and he would have hopefully had some exposure to the more positive sides of humanity and what this village can offer. At that time, we'll reopen this topic."

Danzou nodded and finished his tea. "I will take my leave then, Hokage-sama." He paused at the doorway and spoke without turning around. "Tell me, how is Teuchi-san doing?"

"Mending. He's back in his home with his daughter. Their shop should be re-opening soon."

"That is good to hear. If possible, I'll see if some of those insurance policies in Sea Country listed certain beneficiaries."

"I'm sure such a thing would go a long way, and fear not, old friend, I'll never breathe a word that you actually have a heart."

That got a very rare reaction from Danzou. He chuckled lightly and exited, closing the door behind him with a one-handed wave.

Sarutobi poured himself another cup of tea, then packed his pipe, his eyes flickering back to the white-board. He would have to wait until the Sea delegation gave their reports, but he would eventually get to the bottom of this. He owed it to the boy, if nothing else. _'Speaking of which, perhaps Naruto would like to visit the Generator?'_ He glanced at the clock and nodded. _'Soon, then. I think he'd like that.'_

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Naruto sat on the water tower's roof, some twenty feet above Building One. That was all the buildings in this quad were to him at present, just numbers. He had only recently moved out of his torpor, and felt the need to check on Kurama-sensei, as it had been over a month since the attack at Ichiraku's. He spread his senses out, as he had been taught by Ocelot and Kurama, readied his environmental awareness, and began meditating.

He gazed about at the ruin, though he could see spots of new growth. Naruto understood what this was all about: as the mind, so the places within it. As he walked forward, large gaps in the overhead canopy lessened and new growth rose in his tread. Distant booms and high pitched whistlings were heard as trees rose from the ground at high velocity, steam wafting from their massive trunks.

Poison mists cleared and desolate fields once again were in bloom. Not all was as it was, however; some scars were still evident in the form of fissures and pillars of deep rock leaning drunkenly against one another.

He heard the faint tinkling of a bell and said to the air about him, "I apologize for my long absence, Kurama-sensei. I should be able to continue lessons soon."

**"I see your mind is healing now. That is good, Naruto."**

"Thank you, Kurama-sensei. If you will excuse me, there is something I still need to do."

Naruto had stopped walking, and with the merest thought, a massive slab of rock rose up on his right as a large section of ground before him rapidly sank to the depth of fifty feet. A sheet of water suddenly appeared over the edge of the slab, plummeting down into the empty basin. Kurama watched in silent wonder, amazed at what his host was creating.

Before the demon's own eyes, the filling basin, roughly an acre in size, was ringed with forest creatures and insects, from the smallest of gnats to the Hokkaido Sika deer.

There was a rumble, and a mound of solid earth rose in the center of the rising waters. As the wavelets generated by the waterfall washed against the island's shore, a riparian zone came into being on the eastern edge of the lake as the overflow wound its way through sprouting vegetation and mangrove roots. Kurama's eyes swept back to the island as he heard a soft chiming. It was there that he saw Naruto kneeling before a lavender monument or statue.

It looked vaguely feminine with graceful flowing lines. The toes of one foot touched a pedestal of black granite, the right foot barely touching the left knee. The hips twisted slightly as the torso reached backwards with the right arm bent behind the faceless upturned head, touching the shoulder of the extended left arm. Running the length of the outstretched arm were glass chimes of varying sizes. As the spray and wind reached the strands, they would chime softly, producing a somewhat melancholy tone.

Kurama knew this was a tribute to Ocelot, and a strange sensation briefly flitted through his mind. In all his thousands of years, of the multiple times he was worshiped as a god, he had never had anything created in his memory like what Naruto had for hers. Before now, he would never had wanted anything like that, he never really cared what those pitiful insects created in his name.

But _now_ , now he wanted one too and he wondered exactly what it would take. He suddenly realized what that 'strange sensation' actually was: he was jealous. He, Kurama, the Nine Tailed Kyuubi no Kitsune was jealous, and of a mere human at that!

Despite such an unwelcome realization, he had to wonder if Naruto would ever create something out of pure love and adoration for the demon in his belly.

He could easily tell the boy was still grieving, as his fingers brushed the pedestal, before Naruto suddenly looked up at the sky and vanished.

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He glanced down from his perch and saw the Hokage looked back up at him with a soft smile on his weathered face. "Naruto-kun?"

Naruto stood and slowly walked down the side of the water tower and went to his knee before Sarutobi. He didn't seem to be aware of his tears.

"Now, now, none of that, Naruto-kun. Up you come, and I see you learned much in the past three months." He paused for a moment. "I miss her too, you know."

Naruto nodded, rising and giving a slight quarter bow, before wiping a sleeve across his eyes.

Sarutobi snapped his fingers and told the ANBU which appeared silently, "Do _not_ let them escape." Turning his attention back to Naruto as he felt his robes shift from the rapid departures, he said, "That was a good catch there, Naruto-kun. Whoever is caught will be introduced to Anko. I will see that she gets some time to visit you as well."

Naruto nodded slowly, and shifted his left foot. "Hokage-sama, I do have a request, if you'd be willing to hear it."

"If it is within my power, it shall be so. Speak freely, Naruto-kun."

"I would like something done for Ocelot-sensei and I have something in mind, Hokage-sama. Quite literally, I might add, so you would have to come inside to see it. I promise it won't take a second, Hokage-sama."

"I believe you, Naruto-kun. Give me just a moment." Sarutobi ran through the required seals and touched Naruto's forehead.

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Sarutobi blinked and gazed at the far bank, where every sort of creature native to the surrounding forest, and even some Sarutobi had seen in other locations, were in attendance. He also spotted a small red fox with nine tails among the throng. He turned as he heard the soft chiming, and sucked in his breath at what was before him. Never had he imagined the boy would create something like this, as he watched water fall a hundred feet into the lake, the spray and breeze catching the chimes suspended from the arm of a statue upon a black pedestal, a study of poetry in motion.

"I made this to remember and honor Ocelot-sensei, and I was wondering if it'd be possible to have this made outside near one of the waterfalls."

He could easily see that Ocelot had shifted from guard, to teacher, and then to sister. "I think we can manage that, Naruto-kun. I'll do my best to remember the details." In his deep inner heart, Sarutobi was surprised to find himself just a bit jealous, and wondered if the boy would also like-wise honor him when the time came.

"You don't have to try, Hokage-sama," said Naruto, touching Sarutobi's hand, "as this is my mind. You will remember as I have given you all the details."

Sarutobi blinked and looked down at the boy, who still wore a serious expression. "This...this is amazing, Naruto-kun. You can pass along knowledge just like that? Well, I suppose you could, as could anyone, as you are correct. This is your mind, and whatever you want to happen here, will. Let us return now, Naruto-kun, and we'll see if I still remember."

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Sarutobi blinked and looked skyward, seeing the sun hadn't moved at all while he was inside Naruto's increasingly beautiful mindscape. He glanced at Naruto and nodded. "I remember, Naruto-kun. You are indeed a very special person, and I am honored to have met you. Any reason why you don't want it here?"

"No waterfall and I know some would come to vandalize or steal it."

Sarutobi sighed heavily, as the boy had a point on the latter issue. "Why a waterfall though?"

"Ocelot-sensei...she moved like water. She could sweep you up in her current or flow around you. And, um, she taught me Walk Walking by Wall Dancing, her laugh like drops of water hitting chimes. So the waterfall is important, Hokage-sama."

"I understand, Naruto-kun. I will see what I can do. Now then, as for the nature of my visit. How would you like to come to the Generator? Not just anyone gets to see how the Hokage practices his techniques."

Getting the first wide-eyed smile since the start of this mess, Sarutobi took Naruto's hand and Flickered away, followed shortly by their respective ANBU guards.

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There were several Generators in Konoha, the larger ones constructed primarily to house Chuunin squads for supplementary and complimentary jutsu chains among the squad members. Each Generator was constructed of chakra augmented concrete, created from heavily imbued Earth and Water combinations and reinforced with steel bars, lead sheets, and very densely packed sand in layers, the buildings themselves disguised as warehouses.

Inside each Generator, aside from medical and examination rooms in case of accident, was a small cafeteria which served specially designed meals to increase blood, chakra and stamina replenishment, and heavily fortified galleries. Those were lined with permanent seal arrays and constructs, the purpose of which was to create privacy, sound, and protection barriers.

A secondary purpose was to absorb both used and residual bodily and elemental chakra for the production of electricity through specialized conversion seals.

In the galleries, squads or individuals could practice high powered techniques without fear of widespread destruction within the village, decimating training grounds or being spied upon by certain comrades or foreigners. Given that those responsible were required to restore the training grounds they used, the Generators saw moderate use.

At the same time, they would provide a needed public service. Konoha did have chakra battery arrays and specialized D-ranks for powering the electrical grid. The Generators provided an extra layer of service, a sense of security, provided additional power to outlying villages, and gave a means for skilled shinobi to work off stress and improve teamwork.

Sarutobi and company arrived at the entrance to Generator A-4 and slipped inside the large warehouse. The guards on duty were surprised to see their Hokage, and quickly secured the galleries for Sarutobi and the ANBU squads. Sarutobi himself paid the entrance fees (though normally waived for the Hokage), the fees going towards maintenance, upkeep and resupply.

"ANBU, you are all clear to practice in groups or singly, my treat for exemplary service and duty. Reform groups in two hours, the last thirty minutes for recuperation. Fall out and dismissed."

The eight ANBU went to knee with bowed head, thumping their chest with their right fists. "Hai, Hokage-sama!"

Though Naruto missed it, Sarutobi saw each of them glance briefly at the boy, nodding their respects to the one who had avenged Ocelot.

"Come Naruto-kun, and prepare to be amazed," said Sarutobi, as he lead Naruto towards his reserved gallery. "Also, if you could, I wonder if you would be able to answer a question of mine, as well as granting a demonstration."

Naruto looked up at Sarutobi as they entered the gallery, with Sarutobi activating the various barrier seals. "I...I don't know if I can, Jijii. There's bad memories with it."

"I understand, Naruto-kun. I merely wanted to know so I could add it to your file as an original technique, but to do that, I would need a demonstration, explanation and a name to go with the technique. Together, we would decide if it was to be a family, personal, or open technique, with the open meaning taught to others while being compensated through a trade or through cash or services."

Naruto nodded his understand, and looked down the length of the gallery. "I don't know if I can do it here. Last time, I was touching soil..." His eyes went wide as Sarutobi opened his mouth and spewed out a large mass of mud.

"Is that enough, or do you require more?" Though Sarutobi only required intent, he still went through the seals slowly three times. For all of which the boy had gone through, Sarutobi still felt a great debt. There was also the issue of his pride: another taught Naruto inside with a smug toothy grin.

Naruto was struck mute by the display, nudged Kurama, who was already paying rapt attention, and tried to follow along.

"Mud Flow, a basic Earth technique. There are several techniques which use the mouth, either to blow, flow or spit. Using this as a distraction, I could then form Mud Clones, Earth Chain Sickles, or even an Earth Dragon Projectile from the residue. By being aware of your environment, you can find many things to use as tools or weapons."

Naruto nodded in understanding and composing himself, knelt down and touched the mud. "Could you make a clone for me?" Sarutobi nodded as another Sarutobi rose up from the brown sludge, created without seals, then again with them but without chakra or intent. Kurama watched, mindful of darker memories on display across the skydome.

Naruto's left hand came up and Sarutobi's eyes went wide as he saw the boy make a one-handed Snake seal.

Naruto's palm was vertical, as he slowly formed the seal. Outside of Ichiraku's, he had broken his fingers as they twisted around each other in his rage. His middle finger crossed over the ring finger at the first minor knuckle, while the little and index fingers started vertical, then bent ninety degrees at the first minor knuckle, the finger tips turned slightly inwards. His right hand rose in a upwards claw, and Sarutobi saw a column of sorts rise from the mud behind his clone.

"Naruto, can you bend it or move it once it's formed?"

Naruto's brow creased, and the tri-fingered end opened like a flower as it rose over the clone's head and bent like an orchid, revealing each petal was lined with stone teeth. "That's about all I can bend it, Jijii."

Sarutobi smiled softly, hearing Naruto use that name once more. "I see. Let it go, and reform it at normal usage speed."

Naruto let the technique fall, before creating it anew. The muddy column shot up behind the clone, disquieting shapes playing across its surface. The petals spread open as the column bent over at its zenith, clamped down on the clone's head, and flipped it backwards. The clone was dispelled when the head was detached less than a second after the technique was begun.

"Amazing, Naruto-kun. How did you come up with this technique?"

The boy rose to his feet and looked down, his voice hollow. "I was enraged at what they did to Ocelot-sensei, and I wanted them to hurt, to feel pain, to pay. I wanted them dead and the earth rose up to do my will."

"The earth rose up to do your will?" Sarutobi was thankful for foresight, reaching into his robes to pull out a small piece of blank paper. The comment of wanting them dead was both understandable and troublesome. This was the first time, as far as he knew, that Naruto had felt such was needed, despite all he had gone through. "Naruto-kun, take this and channel some of your chakra into it. This is special paper used to gauge elemental affinities."

Shifting his eyes to the paper, Naruto took the proffered slip, which was quickly shredded. "I see you have a strong leaning towards Wind, which means that Earth and Water could be secondary or tertiary affinities later. I think I might now how the earth did your bidding, but I will need to talk to an expert about this first, one of my former students. What will you call this technique, Naruto-kun?"

The boy thought for a while, before nodding to himself, distracted from his emotional turmoil. "Ocelot's Flower, in honor of Ocelot-sensei."

Sarutobi nodded with a smile. "A very good name, Naruto-kun, but are you sure?" At the strong nod, he continued, "After practice, how about we discuss this more over dinner at the Mansion. There is someone I would like for you to meet." _'If Earth isn't his primary, then it has to be something else, something Jiraiya might know about from the Toads.'_

For the rest of that hour and half into the next, Sarutobi's words came true, as Naruto was amazed at the power, intensity and pure style Sarutobi exhibited as he moved from one technique to the next, seamlessly, at times forming rapid-fire jutsu chains where each technique supplemented and built upon the one prior. Suffice it to say, the lights were brighter that night, and would be for weeks to come as the excess energy was stored in backup arrays.

Inside the mindscape, Kurama also watched, and captured memories. He knew Sarutobi's game, as several times during the display, that aged ape would actually perform a technique manually and slowly. Despite himself, he was impressed that a human could perform so many amazing things merely by thinking of them. There was respect, a smidgeon, a speck, just a bit, barely above zero, a modicum. It was something along those lines, as chimes tinkled in the misty spray.


	10. Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous chapter: Naruto's mind begins to heal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

Dinner was actually held in Sarutobi's personal study, as there were some unforeseen complications regarding his own kin eating with Naruto. He could only shake his head. Though he could have shamed them into compliance, he was more than certain that Naruto would read the mood and relapse into his prior non-responsive condition.

That's not to say that Naruto was at ease. He was more than fine with Sarutobi and Matron Ana, but the large man with the white mane was an unknown. He was mostly unknown, as Kurama-sensei recognized him and informed Naruto not just who he was, but also where he was at the time of the sealing. This Jiraiya person was there. Naruto had been mulling over that fact for the entirety of dinner.

"Naruto-kun, this is Jiraiya, the Toad Hermit, and I've asked him here to validate something for me. If you have any questions of him, feel free to ask them."

After a moment, Naruto asked a simple question. "Where have you been?"

The room went quiet as the deeper implications sunk in.

"I'm not quite certain what you mean, gaki." came the breezy response.

"Naruto."

"Huh?"

"My name is Naruto, Jiraiya-sama."

"I'm not quite certain I understand you, gaki." Jiraiya had yet to look at the boy.

"Hokage-sama, I humbly thank you for the meal and earlier demonstration," said Naruto as he stood and bowed at the waist. "I feel I should be heading home, as it has been a rather long day for me. With your permission, I'd like Matron Ana to see me out."

Sarutobi shot a scathing glance at Jiraiya, who gave a half-shrug. "Be at peace, Naruto-kun. I'm certain Jiraiya meant nothing."

"He meant he would not acknowledge me, and therefor had no respect of or for me. That's more than nothing, and I've learned enough to know I don't have to tolerate it. By your leave, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. _'This could have gone a lot better.'_ "I apologize for my guest, Naruto-kun. Matron Ana, if you would."

Ana stepped forward, holding out her hand for Naruto to take. She had volunteered to be Naruto's personal chef and server for the evening.

Naruto was at the study's door when Jiraiya muttered something incomprehensible and said, "Uzumaki-kun, a moment if you will. I apologize for my disrespect and have misjudged you. Please grant this fool a small portion of your time." _'What thin skin. He'll never make it as a shinobi so long as trash-talk is a valid tactic.'_

Naruto paused and glanced back. "Pending my question, I will. I ask again, where have you been? I know you were there."

A cautious Jiraiya was wracking his brain. He had done much and been many places after his student's sacrifice. "Where exactly do you mean? I head up Konoha's Field Intelligence so I travel often and have been many places." Even now, he refused to look at the boy directly, though he himself was unaware of this. The others saw clearly, shooting careful glances towards Naruto as his face tightened.

Naruto watched him with dull blue eyes before releasing Ana's hand and turning bodily to face Jiraiya. "Two miles past the East Gate, in a clearing where nothing grows, where once the Kyuubi no Kitsune roamed before being sealed into a baby by a blond on a pipe-smoking giant toad. You were there.

"Where have you been since? The blond was your student, yes? I noticed the hair. Yours may have been longer but it was in the same style and probably used for the same defensive shroud. I do not know the name of it, though it was witnessed several times that night."

Ana was struggling to stay upright. She had come to rather like Naruto, but his statement took her back to unpleasant times. Sarutobi was choking on his tea while the table's surface splintered where an ashen Jiraiya gripped the wood too tightly. The boy finally got his attention.

"Sensei, how does he know that? It should be classified." whispered Jiraiya.

"He knows of the Kyuubi, who goes by Kurama. As far as I know, that is all."

"That creature has a name? Wait, how does he even know that much?"

Naruto had been still, deep in an internal discussion while the two men whispered to each other. His eyes narrowed, and if one could view his mind, they would have seen Kurama being chased by swarms of bees, wasps and hornets as the undergrowth twisted and tangled in his path. "You...you taught my dad?"

In later years, Jiraiya would admit that of the many mistakes he had made, the one he made this particular night would even trump the fool notion to teach three kids once upon a battlefield. He slid out of his chair into an offensive crouch, his face ashen. Nobody knew that connection outside of Sensei, that Naruto was Minato's dead son.

For his godson to be not only among the living, but also in contact with that thing...Jiraiya was having difficulty processing everything. One thing easily processed was self loathing, projected outwards.

Naruto saw the stance and knew that if Jiraiya, of whom he had read, unleashed anything, it would cause quite a mess. Did the fool not know there were others in the room? Jijii was behind and to the right of Jiraiya, so he was safe, but Matron Ana was in the line of fire.

Ana noticed the sudden increase in tension just before Naruto stepped in front of her. It began to click with the earlier conversation with Sarutobi-sama when she had first met Naruto. _'Is he defending me?'_

Naruto wasn't sure what he could do to stop Jiraiya. He was a living legend for Kami's sake. But two very important people to Naruto were in the same room, and he couldn't risk them getting injured if this Jiraiya person had a grudge. He had to stop him before the Hermit could begin.

"I know I can't beat you, but I won't let you hurt them. They are important to me, butcher! I won't let you murder them, not anymore! I won't!"

Sarutobi heard desperation in Naruto's cracking voice and saw his widened eyes as he stood protectively before Ana; the boy was in induced shock. Naruto's left hand flicked upwards in a single seal: Bird, the outer fingers vertical and parallel to the two inner fingers, themselves bent at the first minor knuckle at a ninety degree angle. Sarutobi heard the snapping of bones.

His right rose at the same time with an open palm towards Jiraiya which suddenly clenched shut. There was a shift in the air and Jiraiya toppled to the floor, wheezing as something wrapped around his chest and squeezed. The Hermit slapped his hands together.

There were screams and shouts of alarm in the floor beneath them as Naruto's mangled Bird shifted to a Half-Ram. Before Jiraiya could form a second seal, there was a rumbling, splintering sound before a brownish gnarled appendage shot out of the table's leg, split, and grabbed hold of Jiraiya's left hand and right foot. The left hand wasn't pulled back by the side, but over the shoulder, until the palm met sole with a sickening pop. The clock tick indicated a second had passed.

"Bear."

There was a single knock before the study's door opened. "You called, Hoka..ge-sama?"

"I need you to check downstairs, beneath this room. Report as soon as possible. Additionally, I might have need of your special skills."

"Hai." The door closed as his footfalls faded.

"Naruto-kun? Naruto-kun, can you hear me?" Ana had crouched behind him and had snaked an arm around his torso. She noted there was no flinch and got a nod. "Thank you, Naruto-kun, for protecting me. That was very brave of you, and I am blessed to have known you. It's okay, Naruto-kun. You can release him now. I promise he won't hurt anybody." He was pulled into a hug.

Inside, everything paused as the heard words filtered through. Kurama cursed that another had found his jailer's weak point, as he could see the immediate affect in the brilliant flowers and blooming shrubs. He had paused, which was a mistake as branches twisted around his form and the swarms descended.

Jiraiya took a ragged breath as the binding technique was released, whatever it was. He still had a problem, however, as the wood had yet to give. If anything, he was even more confused. Outside of Tenzou, the Senju Mokuton technique was lost, so how the hells did this kid pull it off? Of the...this person before him, the finger bones breaking...such was dismissed. This imposter deserved far more, in his mind, for daring to wear the skin which blended both Minato and Kushina.

"Matron Ana, I believe your skills are needed elsewhere at present. If you would."

"Hai, Sarutobi-sama. By your leave." She stood, tousled Naruto's silken hair and left the study.

There was something Sarutobi thought he saw in her motions, just for a moment. He'd mull on it after this mess was settled. He couldn't blame the boy for reacting as he had. The wound of Ocelot's murder was still raw in the boy, though he was slowly healing. Such would be faster had the child a support network, but that line of thought was abandoned before Sarutobi became too depressed. There was a reason Naruto was isolated by society.

There was a knock, followed by Tenzou opening the study's door. "Hokage-sama, there seems to be a problem."

"What sort of problem, Tenzou-san?"

"A foot thick pulsing taproot running from this table, through the floor into the room below us, through that floor into the basement, and through the foundational slab into the soil itself."

"That is indeed a problem," remarked Sarutobi dryly. He noticed the house was quieter and made a mental note to give Matron Ana a day or so off, along with a pay bonus. "If you're unable to fix that particular issue, at least we'll have a rather unique conversation piece. Naruto, if you would?"

Naruto saw the motion and started edging his way towards Jijii, keeping a wide berth around the bound Jiraiya. His route brought him by the one called Tenzou and Bear, who had crouched down to be at Naruto's eye level. Naruto's nostrils flared briefly.

"You smell of life, earth and trees." His heartbeat, still beating quickly from adrenaline, was immediately soothed. He breathed deep and released tension still held in his young muscles.

"I am glad, as I rather enjoy the outdoors and Nature, Uzumaki-kun. Thank you for the compliment." Tenzou had noted the changes, and subtly shifted his position.

"I can trust you?"

"That is up to you, Uzumaki-kun."

After a moment, Naruto nodded. "You may call me Naruto, Tenzou-san. Please treat me well."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Naruto. I am Tenzou, though I'd appreciate being called Bear while masked."

"Ocelot would say the same."

"I miss her as well, Naruto. She was a good person."

"Still is. At times, I sense her hand on mine as I work on my handwriting, adjusting my position."

"Ah, yes. Like ripples from a thrown stone, so long as one is remembered, they never truly die."

Naruto could only mutely nod, knowing he had yet another important person added to his list, as he continued on to Jijii. Tenzou had stood, sensing...something from within. Though wood manipulation was not natural to him, the genetic splicing which gave the ability resonated with the boy. 'I will think on this later, once I'm off-duty.' Once he reached Jiraiya, with a few deft touches the gnarled bindings gave way and retreated back into the table leg.

Jiraiya, with a grunt of pain, wrenched his shoulder back into position. Still kneeling, he turned to face Sarutobi and that Uzumaki kid. With something akin to remorse mixed with disbelief on his face, he simply said, "I am sorry, but I cannot stay here." With a swirl of displaced air, he was gone.

"Not your fault, Naruto-kun. Jiraiya has always fled from his problems, facing them only when he could run no further. Tenzou-san, see what you can do about that taproot. Naruto and I have much to discuss." Sarutobi gave another sigh and wistfully thought, _'Shame this couldn't wait for another ten years or more.'_

Once alone and the room sealed, Sarutobi aged a few decades as he told Naruto of his parentage, discussed the choices in the aftermath, and fielded several difficult questions. Still, he counted the evening a success. He still had questions for Jiraiya, as he felt Jiraiya had a few for him after this latest demonstration, but those could wait for another day.

A student lacking shame had been shamed, an experiment with a single friend had gained another, and despite the display, the Kyuubi's jailer had solidified his support with the household's staff. It might take some subtle probing, but he was rather certain Ana was close to walking on fire for the boy.

There was also the matter of the exhibited power. According to Naruto, he felt the need to stop Jiraiya before the Sage unleashed a collateral attack and Jiraiya was stopped in a non-lethal manner. The intent was to immobilize, not kill. He willed it, thought it really hard, and it just happened.

He rubbed the boy's back as they went through a photo album Sarutobi had made of Minato and Kushina as Naruto was finally allowed to learn of them. Yes, overall, today had been a good day. Sarutobi would be hard pressed to defend the notion of denying the boy knowledge of his parents, those who had given him life and breath. Naruto would leave with a copy of that album, sealed alongside his emergency futon, which he carried at all times.

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After the late evening with Jijii, Naruto had gone to the cemetery in search of his mother. Two weeks, it had taken two weeks to find her, and that had been by blind luck. He did not eat, slept where he dropped, but was never thirsty. When the need was too great to ignore, he thought it, focused his will, and it was so. He had water since he could pull it from the surrounding air. You couldn't do the same with food but he didn't care.

He knew where Father was, and could even understand a bit where his dad was coming from when it came to using his son like a sealing scroll. It still rankled a bit, quite a bit, knowing that his father loved the village more than his son or wife. He had never really thought of it before, but now he was certain. The last job he would ever want would include the Hokage's hat. It cost too much, far too much, more than any sane person should be willing to pay, not that he had any illusions there.

The problem with reading is cognitive reasoning, which leads to critical thinking, which in turn creates knowledge. He knew that no matter what he did in service to protect and defend, no matter how long he lived, he would never be forgiven for saving this wretched place with every single breath breathed.

He found her though. Uzumaki Kushina was deep inside the Immigrant and Refugee section. He had to wonder, since Jijii had witnessed their marriage, if she was placed here to ensure that their demon-host son would never be associated with their beloved hero through his surname, since she certainly did not bear it.

Naruto had appeared suddenly before Yoshinibi's desk, causing her to start in surprise.

"Uzumaki-san, is there a problem?" Though not terribly fond of the child, orders were orders. Her nose wrinkled as the stink hit her, as she noted his disheveled state, grass stains and overall filth.

"I have...something to discuss with Hokage-sama. Is he free?"

As she checked his schedule, she asked, "Just how important it this?" 'Perhaps the water is out at his place.' She viciously squashed that thought.

Accompanied by the splintering sound of the panels beneath his feet cracking, he replied, "It is a trifling matter, but is crucial to the state of my emotional and mental health."

She pressed a button and spoke into her headset. "Hokage-sama, one Uzumaki Naruto is here to see you. He says the matter is urgent. As you will, Hokage-sama." She turned her gaze back to Naruto. "Hokage-sama will see you now. I'm sure you know the way." She made no move to stand, nor could she had she tried. There was barely repressed rage in his feral features, his expressed energy sufficient for even her to feel.

"I thank you for your assistance, Yoshinibi-san, and yes, I can find my own way."

Before his hand touched the door, Jijii's voice came from within. "Enter."

Naruto slipped into the office. Glancing around, he asked, "Hokage-sama, I have found something...wrong."

Sarutobi raised his eyebrow at the title preference. Did the boy know there were others hidden in the room? Reading Naruto's body language, he was rather upset about something. "Could you elaborate, Naruto-kun?"

"I'm...I'm not sure if I can explain it. If, if you're free for a break, perhaps, then I can show you."

"Naruto-kun, though I am the Hokage and supposedly all-powerful, I do have responsibilities here and much work to do. Unless you can tell me something more, there's precious little I can do."

He could tell Naruto was very uncomfortable and barely restrained. "I...Hokage-sama, I found Uzumaki Kushina in the Refugee section in the cemetery. It took two weeks, but I found her."

"Jiraiya."

The huge man, at least to Naruto, stepped out of the shadows and leaned against the desk. "Is that the truth, Uzumaki?"

Naruto pulled in upon himself, catching the insult. This Jiraiya still intimidated him, and his hard eyes spoke of their last meeting. He nodded once.

"Jiraiya-kun, I want you to put any misgivings aside for the moment. This will take only a moment of your time, but I want this confirmed. I can trust no other given the sensitivity of this issue. If Naruto's claim is validated, use whatever means you feel necessary to correct the situation."

Jiraiya's eyes flickered between Sarutobi and Naruto before he nodded and held out his hand. "Truce for now, Uzumaki. Take my hand and we'll avoid the crowds."

When Naruto tentatively reached out, his hand was snagged and there was a brief moment of disorientation. They were deep in the cemetery on an overgrown path.

"Show me." His subtle testing of the boy's chakra during the physical contact proved, at least, that the demon wasn't wearing Naruto's skin like a suit. He had already formed several contingencies were that the case.

It took a moment to get his bearings, and within ten minutes, Jiraiya was kneeling next to a simple rectangle of common stone set into the ground. He could tell that someone had recently pulled the weeds and overgrowth off of its surface.

"I need to confirm this, Uzumaki." With that, he ran through a short set of seals and stomped the ground. With a rumbling sound, a pale coffin slowly rose vertically. Jiraiya felt many emotions run through him as he recognized his preservation seals. He stopped the ascent at three feet.

"Uzumaki, Uzumaki-kun, do you wish to see her? You will only have this one chance before I move her. This is my thanks for bringing this to my attention."

At the shaky nod, Jiraiya flipped open the cover protecting the viewing port, showing a beautiful woman's face framed in vibrant red hair. Thanks in large part to Jiraiya's seals, it would be many decades before she showed any sign of decay. At present, she merely looked asleep, her face calm and relaxed.

He glanced over at the kid who had turned very pale and was reaching out a shaky hand towards the coffin. "I wouldn't do that, Uzumaki. I don't know how much control you have over your chakra. If you are careless, you could disrupt the preservation seals, and that would not be a good thing. If you're done, I'll need to call in some reinforcements."

Jiraiya wasn't intending to be this cold and understood the system shock the kid was going through, but he needed to get this done quickly. He was also rather upset at this discovery, internally blaming the kid for his sour mood, and the sooner he was finished here, the sooner he could employ his considerable talents in finding out why she was placed here.

He was very curious on who had made that decision. He ran though another set of seals and smacked the ground with his open palms. A network of lines spread out from his splayed fingers and several battle toads appeared.

"You called for us, Jiraiya-sama?"

"Hai. I'm sure you remember my student, Minato?" At their puzzled nod, he continued. "This is Kushina, his wife. For some reason, she was never placed with her husband. I need your help to fix this. It was only recently brought to my attention."

"Who is the boy?"

"He is...he claims to be their son."

"Oh?" One of the eight foot toads hunkered down and sniffed the air. "You are indeed their son and smell of fox." He turned a bulbous eye towards Jiraiya. "You plan on making him a summoner?"

"I...we'll discuss this later. For the moment, I need a multi-layered illusion and some heavy muscle. His shrine will be thick with supplicants, so we'll take the back way."

"You heard him." The toad turned his attention back to Naruto. "What is your name, little one?"

"Na...Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto," he said, his eyes still wide at the massive and heavily armed and armored amphibians. So far, today has given one surprise after another.

"You do not look well, Uzumaki-san."

"It's...I'm a bit shocked. I only found out a few weeks ago about my parents. There's a big difference between a picture and reality."

The other toads paused in their extraction. "All this time, and you never knew what wonderful people they were?" The kid's head shake increased his frown.

Four of the six toads had pulled the coffin the rest of the way out of the ground and onto their thick shoulders as the fifth wove a complex Genjutsu laced with suggestive misdirection. "Uzumaki-san, stay close to me and strive to keep your emotions in check. I, Goshu, will keep you hidden. This I swear. Jiraiya-sama, once done, Gamabunta-sama will be appraised of this situation, and other things you seemed to have kept from him."

Jiraiya winced at the promise. That would be a discussion he was sure to not enjoy. Shaking his head in resignation, he led group away from the now-filled grave. Her marker had been left behind, just in case it had been monitored. Within moments, the slightly overgrown and forgotten section was empty once more.

Their transport mission was aided by the huge hedgerows which formed natural dividers between the varied cemetery sections. While most of the larger clans had their own private grounds, for the rest, there was a definite caste system, even in death. The only real difference between the two states of being was that one's status and stature could actually improve once dead, pending how lavish and expensive the funeral and procession was. Even if the living family should fall into disgrace, the dead's stature could actually improve if it was believed that while living, the deceased had held the family together.

After roughly ninety minutes, Jiraiya and company found themselves behind Minato's shrine. The actual crypt was generally off-limits and was below ground. Still ensconced in a Toad Arts illusion, Kushina's casket was lowered onto the ground. Jiraiya slid the viewing hatch shut, ran through some seals, and touched his hands to the ground. Instantly, a section around the casket turned into a muddy swamp and the box was quickly pulled under.

Speaking for Naruto's behalf, he stated, "This is the Swamp of the Underworld, Uzumaki. Normally, I would cover several acres with this, and it can be hundreds of feet deep. For our purposes here, such extremes are not needed. I intend to lower her to Minato's level before liquidating a section of the retaining wall.

"Once in place, the entire crypt will be flooded with special mud, which once hardened, will make any extraction an exercise in futility. Though their souls may be kept separated, their bodies will never part again." He paused to order his thoughts. "I...I thank you, Uzumaki-kun, for bringing this to my attention."

There was a momentary pause, Naruto's eyes never leaving the spot his mother's casket once occupied. "It is done. My thanks for your assistance, and I will speak with Gamabunta-sama as soon as I deliver my report to Sensei." Five of the toads nodded and vanished, leaving the one who held the Genjutsu. "Uzumaki, as I understand things, you may have some difficulty leaving this place. If you want, I will escort you."

"I...ho-home, please. I have many things to think through."

"Where is home, Uzumaki?" He could tell the kid was still shook up.

"Ward 15, Jiraiya-sama." Naruto hid it as best he could, but this person's habit of being rude then polite was starting to work his nerves.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. He had been basically debriefed by Sensei and knew the kid had never been adopted, a fact that made his stomach twist unpleasantly. He did not, however, know where he lived. Jiraiya knew the wards were for temporary or emergency housing, not long-term living. Still, if that's where the kid wanted to go, Jiraiya would honor his word and take him there.

"I think I know the general area. You can pay your regards later, Uzumaki. It is time we leave here. Take my hand, if you would."

Again, there was a brief moment of disorientation and they were on the quad, the small park between the four buildings.

"You live here?" He glanced about this forgotten and overgrown place, reminded of a very recent cemetery.

"There," he pointed. "And sometimes there, and that one. I haven't stayed in any rooms in that building yet, but might soon."

"Is there no.."

"Thank you for helping me, Jiraiya. I should take my leave as I would not want to trouble you further. Good day." Naruto walked away without looking back, content with his parting disrespect.

Jiraiya was left alone on the quad, multiple thoughts streaming through his brain. He had never been dismissed like that, well, not by one so young. _'Just who the hell is he, and if truly Minato's boy, what happened to make him this way? If he really is their son, shouldn't his housing be better?'_ He shook his head, as now was not the time for rhetoricals. He still had a report and a very uncomfortable question/answer session ahead of him. When Gamabunta wanted a chat, he got what he wanted.

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For the next two months, Naruto was routinely distracted. The reason was Jiraiya, who would blip momentarily on Naruto's range of detection, which had been improving almost daily thanks to his meditative techniques. But it would only be for a moment, a blink, before Jiraiya was gone again. Naruto knew the man was just beyond his range, though he figured that one as experienced as the Sennin could sense Naruto from many miles away, no matter Naruto's proficiency at chakra suppression.

He figured the man was messing with him as a form of psychological warfare, once Naruto let it be known, through the Hokage, that he would only agree to meet with Jiraiya once Jiraiya agreed to answer his question posed at their first and last meal together.

Though the Uchiha led Konoha Police had no real love for Naruto, there were several that would jump at the chance to humble Jiraiya. That man had shamed and humbled several septs of their clan since he first took on the mantle of Genin. Seeing as Naruto was both a Ward of State and a Civilian, they would have almost total jurisdiction should the Kyuubi Container allege harassment.

It would be worth the paperwork and inevitable headache which came with the Kyuubi Container just to book Jiraiya, just once.

Naruto was currently meditating on the roof of Building 3 after a rather nice lunch at Ichiraku's. Teuchi-sama had prospered of late, and had bought out Dingo's Dango Hut. Rather than close the place, Teuchi-sama had kept it open, with a slight change in staff, as it was his intent to corner the market on the two biggest eaters in Konoha outside of the Akimichi clan.

Suffice to say, his knowledge of seasonings, herbs and spices increased the volume of dango skewers sold. Since Dingo's (he kept the name for customer familiarity) had fat fryers, he incorporated a food addition he had long pondered: small fried breads and pastries. After a few trial runs, he increased Dingo's staff by another ten and made the restaurant a twenty-four hour eatery, thereby gaining the Shinobi faction and early risers. While ramen was his true love, Dingo's quickly became his money-maker.

While in thought of two of his most favorite people, there was a shifting of air and Jiraiya materialized ten feet in front of him, in a seated position. "I will answer your question now." Jiraiya was more than a bit put out at having been jailed several times. He had allowed himself to be, more to the point.

That got Naruto's attention and he quickly focused on Jiraiya.

Jiraiya cast his eyes around before glanced at Naruto. "I was in pain, I was hurting, and this place held too many memories. Minato was an orphan as well, Uzumaki-kun, and for almost twenty years, I saw him as my own son. I was his first sensei, a father-figure, his master and his friend. With him and Kushina gone, there was little left for me here. I was originally under the impression that you had died during the sealing, taking the Kyuubi with you into Oblivion.

"I never expected you to still be alive. I thought that I was done with mourning my surrogate family, cut down in their prime. Seeing you alive brought the pain back, along with all the unresolved and buried issues. I understand that you have lost someone recently."

Naruto nodded, suddenly not trusting his voice. This man wanted him dead.

"My condolences." Jiraiya said sincerely. "It's never easy, is it, moving forward. Now imagine, if you would, this person you lost. What if you were then placed around someone who looked like her but wasn't her, and you were kept around them all the time?"

Naruto blanched at the thought. If he was forced to be around someone who looked like Ocelot but wasn't, that would be torture as his thoughts would never leave her alone.

"I can see you understand. It's not that I like nor dislike you, Uzumaki-kun. In truth, I barely know you, nor can I claim any rights by you. Technically, I'm your Godfather, but I'm really not sure how long I can stand to be around you. No offense, but you just remind me of my dead son too much. Perhaps in time, but not right now."

"You...you would even keep stories of them only you know from me?"

_'Trust the little shit to cover that angle.'_ "Give me a few years to get used to you first, and then we'll discuss it. I know it's not fair, but precious little is in this world. I suppose that you, of all people, should know that. Now then, have I answered your question?"

Naruto was a bit taken aback by the bluntness, though a part of him appreciated it. Both Jijii and Kurama-sensei would speak in riddles or roundaboutly, in a circumspect manner as if afraid of the question or wanting to withhold information to use as possible leverage. He nodded cautiously.

"Good. Now perhaps you'll be willing to answer one of mine. Just what the hell was that technique you used against me? And that wood binding, where did that come from?"

Given that Jiraiya had been civil, Naruto opted to keep that tone. Civil did not mean charitable, and he had no illusions that Jiraiya's life would be easier with this reminder of his past gone. "That's two questions, Jiraiya-sama. What are you willing to give for both answers?"

"I don't often make bargains, Uzumaki-kun. I realize you are my only source for information, so I will teach you a skill. Just one. Once you answer, I will need a listing of your current skill sets so you will not feel cheated. Is this agreeable?"

Inside, Kurama gave a very toothy grin. He had taught his jailer well, though they were yet back on speaking terms. Naruto had grown rather testy once he made the connection between his father, Namikaze Minato, and the form Kurama had first worn when he attempted to break Naruto's will. Testy was putting it lightly, as had the tables been turned, such would have been a killing offense.

Kurama considered being injected with toxins until he passed out as a mild punishment, not that it didn't sting. Long after he healed, the memory stayed and he had yet to get the buzzing out of his ears. He could always hear it on the very cusp of hearing, perhaps as a tacit reminder. Despite having almost full access to Naruto's mind, there were many things about the boy which were unknown, his deeper motivations being part of that set. For one used to being 'in the know,' it made Kurama just a bit nervous.

"I felt a deep need to stop you in case you did something stupid. I wasn't sure if you knew that Matron Ana was besides me and I wasn't going to let you move first. If it had been just me, I would have accepted the beating as another pain lesson to improve my tolerance." Both of Jiraiya's eyebrows rose at that last notion, but he knew that if he asked any more questions, he would owe that many more favors, damn the little shit!

"I will give you a freebie, Jiraiya-sama. As Kurama-sensei..."

"Do you mean the Kyuubi?"

"Do you really want to ask that question, Jiraiya-sama? I will only be gracious this one time." Naruto's grin was predatory. Jiraiya quickly shook his head.

"Kurama-sensei once instructed me to accept pain lessons for the simple reason that everyone feels pain at one point or another. Increased exposure allows one to modulate and regulate their reaction to the pain. So by having pain, I can improve my reactions to being hurt."

Jiraiya nodded his understanding. Though the notion was a bit extreme, it was logically sound. He had personally known many who had never really felt physical pain before who had frozen at their first injury, which often led to their follow-up fatality. He kept his thoughts on those lines, instead of the uncomfortable ones about this child's age, and on who gave those pain lessons or how often.

"However," Naruto continued, "I was not alone. I had Matron Ana besides and then behind me. I called upon my will and Nature responded. That is the short answer."

Jiraiya frowned mightily. Yes, the little brat had answered his questions, though obliquely. _'Friggin' loopholes!'_ But then Jiraiya thought back to that dinner, and realized he had made an enormous error when it came to Uzumaki Naruto. He had, after all, slipped into an offensive stance. Jiraiya groaned internally. He would do what he could to keep this from getting too expensive. He was still smarting from Gama-sama's chat, and had been denied summons, outside of possible death, for three months for his rather cavalier attitude towards the offspring of Gamabunta's most favored summoner.

Naruto didn't feel bad about being a manipulative jackhole in the least, especially since it was very hard to be charitable when the person asking things of you prefaced with 'Don't take this too personally, but the sight of you makes me sick.' How the hell else where you supposed to take such a statement?

"What is it you want for the information?"

"Groceries."

Jiraiya gave him a flat look. " _Groceries_? I'm not your lackey, Uzumaki-kun. Get them your own damn self. Name something else." His gut twisted at the implications.

"Groceries. I can't get them myself."

"Oh, and why can you not get them yourself? If you need a loan, you need only..."

Naruto stood suddenly, highly vexed, and raised his shirt to expose his belly. He didn't even need to draw upon his chakra, as his anger caused the dust around his feet to billow out in waves as the dark runes of his seal sprang into being across his skin. "This is why, idiot!"

Jiraiya stared, agape, then quickly massaged his brow. "Fine. Just give me a list and I'll take care of it." If nothing else, this cemented the fact that Minato's son was alive, the Kyuubi still jailed, and the seal very much intact.

Something kept twisting inside of his gut, chastising him for not learning of the boy before that wretched dinner. Personal shame was quick on the heels of this.

"A list and funds," said Naruto a bit more calmly, though still upset as he lowered his shirt. "I _don't_ need your charity, Hermit-sama. This is a trade, one thing for another of equal value. Last thing I need is to be owing you anything, so I will give you the list and funds.

"The only reason I live this way, Jiraiya-sama, is not from lack of money. I have bound stacks of the stuff. But without sellers, it's worthless. Only Ichiraku's accepts me freely. The others who permit me, overcharge grossly. Were it not for Kurama-sensei's tutelage, I would still be oblivious to the crime."

_'This is even worse than I thought.'_ "Fine, fine. I will do your shopping for you. New clothes will be on me, just give your preference and size. In return, I want to know of your relation to this Kurama-sensei, what he's taught you, and a more in-depth explanation of 'Nature responded.' Do we have a deal?"

"I'll pay for those as well, Jiraiya-sama."

Jiraiya frowned again, the comment about not owing him anything still sticking in his head. "It'll be a gift from me. If it'll make things easier for your pride, consider it a late birthday present."

"That would not..."

"Just let me do this, dammit! Why are you so stubborn about it all?!" The man's chest heaved, surprised by his own anger.

Naruto nodded slowly, having taken a few steps backwards. His mind was suddenly brought back to the last time he had new clothes, when Ocelot still breathed and his last birthday, when she did not. Inside, Kurama suddenly heard the chimes from the island lake and everything grew still in reverence. He knew this was love, and had to wonder just what actual reciprocated love would bring. Hit with a sudden spike of jealousy, he knew Ocelot was part of Naruto's pantheon.

Jiraiya saw a momentary weakness, and had it been anyone besides the son of his only apprentice, he would have pounced. He had no qualms with age when it came to negotiations. Instead, uncharacteristically, he waited for Naruto's answer, still trying to get his breathing under control.

Naruto refocused on Jiraiya, his respect for the man increasing slightly. "As a gift then." He paused to order his thoughts, as his eyes leaked just a bit. "Kurama-sensei taught me how to speak and read, despite the numerous tutors Hokage-sama assigned to me. They only taught pain lessons. Before, I knew roughly, maybe twenty words, most of them being profanities.

"It was Kurama-sensei who filled the gap. I know he is a Major Demon, but he is oathbound to me, the conditions of which I will not explain. Once I had read something, he would harvest it from my short-term memory for later duplication, so that I could re-read the material at my leisure, however many times I desired. Even before I could actually read, he could gleam the image of the page. This summer will mark roughly a year since my education actually began."

Jiraiya had known this, in a way. Reading such in a report and actually hearing it from the affected person were very different experiences. He detected no falsehood in what the boy said, though what was unsaid hit him harder. Should family perish, it was a godffather's duty to teach.

"As for your third question, as I feel I have answered the others," he got a slight nod from Jiraiya, busy with other thoughts, "Kurama-sensei once asked me what I felt when I sought my chakra. I felt his, mine, ours," Jiraiya's eyebrow raised, "and outside. Gathering the 'outside' was like scooping leaves or water with your hands. I think that comes from Kurama-sensei as they are part Natural energy, the other being Elemental. Since he is half, and all humans have a little bit, I have decidedly more than most, except for maybe Bear-san and one other whose name I do not know."

"You can sense living things?" He got a nod. "That was part of my training in the Toad Sage arts. I will have to inform Gamabunta-sama of this, as he has taken a marked interest in you. He has had many summoners through the centuries, but Minato was his most favored. I am...satisfied with your answers. I will now require a listing of your skills so I can choose what next to teach you, as per our agreement." _'Should it have been me teaching? How was I to know he wasn't dead?'_ A part of him knew though, spymaster as he was.

Naruto's resume ended up being rather brief, which further twisted the knife. Jiraiya expected some brevity, given the age, but Naruto's skill sets were especially scant. He figured it was due to a lack of observed parenting skill emulation, the observation further souring his mood.

"I will teach you how to escape a Genjutsu or Illusionary technique. Since I rather doubt you could completely turn off your chakra, we will go with the other option, that of disrupting the array with an influx of chakra. In short, we will cause the glass to overflow, thus dispersing and thinning what was in the water. Are you with me so far?"

At the nod, he continued, "Good, then I need you to gather as much chakra as you can, hold it for a moment, and then expel it. Send it outwards. Such an action is generally sufficient to disrupt most arrays." He added cooking books and personal notes to the clothing gift, being rather adept at the culinary arts, as well as house cleaning jutsus and tips.

Had Ocelot still been alive or Anko consulted, Jiraiya might have spotted the flaw in his instructions a tad earlier. As it was, Naruto's mischievous side, fed by Iruka's tales of his own youth, coupled with his dislike of this person, adamantly followed the instructions to the letter as he gathered his dense chakra quickly and compressed it even further.

Jiraiya had very little warning that the language used in the instructions could have been presented better before a ball of energy exited Naruto, warping the air around it. Jiraiya shuddered as the dense constuct passed through him, as he could feel just a smidgen of the fox in the blended energy. The ball rapidly expanded as it spread, right before all hell broke loose.

The first hint of something wrong was the remaining windows in the floor directly beneath them erupting in a fine shower of shattered glass. As the ball expanded outwards, birds, both messenger and wild, fell from the sky as their flight patterns were disrupted by the sudden 'Fight or Flight' primal messages as Naruto's chakra passed through them. They could sense just enough of the fox to send their normally schizophrenic brains into overdrive. Some were dead long before they bounced off the ground and building roofs.

Given that Naruto's Ward was almost geographically centralized, the next rank of victims were the draft animals: horses, mules and oxen. They broke free of their traces and did their level best to outrun the evil creature they had sensed behind them, throwing the entire commercial sector into pure disarray as others followed their lead. The Herd Mentality was in full panic mode, the stampede rippling outwards just ahead of the chakra bubble.

Throughout the enormous village, cats screeched, dogs yowled, birds were crazed and koi ponds appeared to boil from fish thrashing as the bubble expanded ever outwards. Then it hit specific clans. The Nara deer bolted. The Inuzuka kennels exploded outwards as the dogs gave chase to the fox they smelt but could not see. The expansive Akimichi pig farm was in full riot. The only casualties came when the Aburame sector was breached: several hives went rogue and the entire cluster fell into anarchy.

Shortly after, the globe of Naruto's chakra, which had touched off innumerable alarms, safeguards, and old explosion tag caches, reached the otherwise invisible barrier which served as Konoha's actual first line of defense.

As the klaxons blared in hidden bunkers, long-disused emergency protocols were enacted in accordance with the ANBU and the Civilian Defense Force. Martial law was declared, civilian evacuation points were readied, and Sarutobi was scanning through his Viewing Orb for the cause of the initial disruption. Naruto aided the search by sending out another massive chakra bubble before a stupefied Jiraiya. Sarutobi found, however, that after the initial and subsequent burst, he needed to recalibrate his Orb. Naruto's expressed energy seriously messed with the internal instruction sets.

Immediately following the third bubble, three full ANBU squads landed on the roof of Building 3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN 10.1: Inspirational credit for Chakra Burst goes to S'Tarkan from his story Team 8.


	11. Where the Gardens Grow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous chapter: Naruto meets Jiraiya, about six years too soon. The Sage learns that his Godson isn't quite as dead as surmised, along with many trust issues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

It was a strange tableau. For whatever reason, Jiraiya's brain had instructed Jiraiya's body to move in front of Naruto, which led to a rather surprised boy looking at twenty-four grownups in black uniforms, blackened body armor, and animal masks from around Jiraiya's rather stout leg.

Jiraiya's presence gave the ANBU pause. This was the first time the Kyuubi kid had ever actually done anything even remotely malicious, so the agreed upon protocol was to grab him, and leave him for the Hokage to punish. Even those who hated Naruto knew better than to take such matters into their own hands, especially after the example of Kakashi. The Toad Sage being here complicated matters a bit, notwithstanding the respect many of that elite department felt towards Naruto, with regards to Ocelot and what he contained.

The lead ANBU, a tall and thick man, stepped forward. His mask was slightly beaked, the beak being tan; two tapered green lines curved outward from the edges of the beak to meet the outside of the eye slits, ringed in yellow. "Jiraiya-sama, what is your capacity?"

Jiraiya understood the question and had a very quick and heated internal debate. "Godfather." That singular word felt bitter on the tongue.

His statement shifted the dynamic and had long-reaching implications.

The gaze moved to Jiraiya's side. "Uzumaki-san, are you the one..." The agent had set the tone, using a more formal address for Naruto despite the boy's apparent age.

"I take full responsibility," interrupted Jiraiya. "I gave him instructions and he followed them. It is my fault for not wording such more carefully."

"I see. I have your word you will come peaceably once we take your statements?"

"I will come peaceably."

"Very well. Hotel, Opera, you are no longer needed here. Assist the teams in the Market Sector. Once done, begin your patrols. Move out." After a moment's deliberation, he continued, "Jiraiya-sama, if you would."

"Uzumaki-san had information which I wanted, so I did what one normally does in such a situation: I made a trade. I would teach him a skill or technique in exchange for information. Seeing how the data was good and sound, I kept my end of the bargain.

"After a brief listing of his current skills, I decided to teach him Genjutsu Dispersal. Since he lacks the control to completely stop his chakra flow, I had him do an expulsion. I did not think to add conditions and grossly underestimated his potential." There was a muffled explosion in the far distance as a cache of smoke bombs detonated.

"I see. Dispatch," he spoke into his throat-mic, "send three teams to the Light and Medium Industrial sectors by the south-west wall. Some caches were set off in that area. Understood. Monarch and Leopard, channel five-A. You are to rendezvous with the containment teams as their 'eyes in the sky'. This situation no longer requires a full team and the Village needs your skills. Move out."

He crouched down and motioned for Naruto to step forward. "Uzumaki-san, I understand that you are aware of your burden. I, for one, thank you for your sacrifice." The remaining member shifted her foot uncomfortably.

Naruto paused, his eyes widening. "Really?" he asked, the disbelief thick in his voice.

"Really, Uzumaki-san. Before we begin, I need a chakra sample from you," he said, pulling out a small opaque cube. "We use sensitive equipment at times, Uzumaki-san, equipment which can not only sense a chakra signature, but can also detect trace usage. To do so, they need to be properly calibrated and tuned.

"Your little display has upset their balance, so we need a sample of your personal energy so they can be refitted, just in case something like this happens again. It would not be a good thing if our gear failed during the pursuit of a criminal due to your chakra interference. Do you understand, Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto nodded dumbly and reached out a hand as the ANBU had indicated he should. The cube flickered briefly, then began to glow brightly. The ANBU suddenly tossed it off the side of Building 3, towards the quad. It exploded in mid-air to the sound of shattered glass.

"Has no-one worked on your control?" he asked a bit angrily.

Rage flared briefly, fed with grief. "She was murdered before I could learn more!"

The agent stiffened, before his shoulders sagged. "I apologize if I upset you, Uzumaki-san. Let us try again, now that I know what to expect. Just so you know, she was loved among us." One of Jiraiya's hands twitched, the aborted touch of comfort noted by the other adults present.

He produced another cube and concentrated to form a barrier around it, the moment that Naruto touched a side. Almost immediately, his hands began to shake. "Opening Gate, release!" _'Perhaps it was too soon to mention her.'_

Naruto was nearly sent backwards by the explosion of chakra around the masked man. A sense of dread began to form in Jiraiya's belly, as there were relatively few people who even knew of the Gates, much less who could release them.

Two of the man's fingers, from both hands, slid around and wrapped around Naruto's outstretched hand. "This will help you stay in one place, Uzumaki-san. She was loved! Urgh...prepare yourself! Healing Gate, release!" _'This is needed, yes.'_

The wind kicked up around them, twisting into disturbing shapes by the surge of raw energy. It was the ANBU's fingers, as well as a thick tendril of chakra which snaked around the ground to anchor Naruto's feet which kept the boy from being sent tumbling away.

The barrier glowed a dark blue around the iridescent, almost blinding white of the cube. There was not a single trace of red or malignancy. There was Love, simple and undiluted.

"You can step back now, Uzumaki-san. It is stable. Catfish, take this with the utmost care back to Headquarters. I would avoid usage of the Shunshin to be on the safe side. Dismissed."

She took the cube very carefully, and with a salute was gone, leaping from roof to roof. The remaining ANBU turned his attention back to Naruto, who barely looked winded after his rather dense chakra donation. "Now then, Uzumaki-san, your report."

Naruto shook his head to clear his thoughts and faced the crouched ANBU. "It is as Jiraiya-sensei," Jiraiya tensed at this, being suddenly reminded of the last time he had heard that title, "said, um...ANBU-san."

"Tortoise, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto nodded while Jiraiya's eyes widened. _'Oh merciful heavens, not him!'_

"Tortoise-san...you are the other person like Bear-san. I sense you are close to Nature. Anyways, Jiraiya-sensei told me to gather as much chakra as I could, hold it for a moment, and then push it out. So I did."

"I see. I am certain that you were witness to the after-affects, so why did you continue, Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto cut his dampened eyes to Jiraiya before loudly exclaiming, his anger at the sage reigniting, "I am a good student! Iruka-sensei taught me to always listen to my sensei and to do whatever they asked of me to my utmost. Iruka-sensei said, 'If you are unwilling to give your all, do not even begin!' I will not shame Iruka-sensei by playing the sloth and taking half-measures, Tortoise-san."

Inside, Kurama grinned widely. He was rather impressed by the sheer chaos Naruto's three bursts had created. It made him hopeful for the future. The subtle twisting of truth the boy was currently expressing was merely icing on the cake. The rage made it that much more delicious.

"Do you mean Umino-san?" He paused as a distant fireworks plant discharged its products in a loud and brilliant display, especially given how it was still early in the afternoon. "How do you know of him?"

"Hokage-sama sent Iruka-sensei to teach me, and he did. He taught me speech, numbers, reading, writing and history, as well as knots and rope usage. I will not shame him, especially not if I am the temporary student of the renown Jiraiya-sensei. If Jiraiya-sensei told me to jump, I would not ask 'How high?' or 'Which way?' I would jump and continue to jump until he told me to stop. He did not tell me to stop my lesson, so I did not. I am a good student!"

Two men groaned in perfect synchronization, since the boy was technically correct. The third man was silent, but in turmoil.

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The more distant groaner leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. _'That boy will be the death of me yet!'_ Though this was Naruto's mess, the fault ultimately lay with Jiraiya, since it had been the Hermit's instructions which began this whole fiasco. Fixing this would be one of Sarutobi's greatest challenges to date, given the extensive and wholesale chaos caused by a six-year old boy.

Something in his Viewing Orb suddenly made Sarutobi sit bolt upright, gripping the edge of the desk tightly. Tortoise had just reached for his mask, and in that single motion, Sarutobi knew that Maito Gai had retired from ANBU. There could be no other reason for the breaking of protocol, as the only time an ANBU was permitted to go 'open face' was by the Hokage's will.

"If it's not one fool thing, it's another." Sarutobi took a moment to repack his pipe before pulling out a Request for Transfer form. Tortoise had been a valued member of ANBU for a solid ten years, despite the man's eccentricities. The least he could do to repay Gai's exemplary service was to ease his transition back into the Jounin ranks.

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The man reached up and removed his mask, revealing a craggy face still lined with sweat from the prior exertion. But the only thing in Naruto's field of view were two massive hairy things which began to wiggle, dance and shift about. Though a part of him (Kurama) was deeply appalled and disgusted, the rest was drawn like a moth to flame, unable to tear his eyes away.

"Uzumaki-san, may I call you Naruto?" He got an absent nod. "Naruto...kun?" Another absent nod. At this point, since Gai was using certain muscles to their maximum effect, Naruto could have been asked if he wanted to be set on fire, and he would have given his assent. "It seems you have noticed my eyebrows."

The boy could only nod. They were thick.

"I have been mocked and ridiculed for my eyebrows, Naruto-kun, but they are a part of me, complete me, and form the whole of me. Without them, I would still be Maito Gai, albeit a slightly different Maito Gai. Most likely, I would be one who would not be here with you today. I cannot help but notice that you have whiskers."

Naruto suddenly snapped out of his trance, his eyes narrow.

"I see that is a sensitive matter. Naruto-kun, your whiskers, scars, whatever you want to call them, they comprise part of your whole. They are a part of you and complete you. Without such, you would be a slightly different Uzumaki Naruto, one who would probably not here with me today. Perhaps you would not be so appropriately named."

Once more, Naruto could only nod, his brain going into overdrive as it looked for hidden meanings. _'Maelstrom...this Gai person, he's deep. This, I do not dislike it.'_

Inside, Kurama scowled. This could be an unexpected setback. Though very rare, people like Gai existed, born with higher than average amounts of Natural energy. Such a one could survive a demonic sealing, even if an adult. _'This Gai person, he's dangerous.'_

"Naruto-kun, I am inspired by you, though I sense the darkness within. Let not your growth be stunted! Let not your light be covered! The flame of your youth, fueled by your sacrifice, burns so very brightly." Something ignited within Gai, as near-forgotten impulses quickened. "Let not your FLAMES OF YOUTH be hidden! Let them BLAZE upon the hillside, giving LIGHT and DIRECTION to the LOST and FORLORN! You are my HERO and inspiration, Naruto-kun. I beg of you. let not your LIGHT be hid!"

Maito Gai, odd but devoted former leader of Team Romeo, was reborn. Many felt a shudder pass through them.

Naruto was overwhelmed. Never had anyone said such to him before. He was an inspiration? He didn't know what to think. Regardless, he had gained another important person. He knew that beggars couldn't be choosers.

Jiraiya and Sarutobi both wore expressions of abject horror, which increased when Gai's meaty hand descended and rested on Naruto's shoulder, causing the boy's knees to buckle.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun, for reminding me of my true purpose. Let Not the Darkness within you hide your Sun with Clouds of Deceit! Today is indeed a Beautiful Day!" Maito Gai proceeded to break down in tears.

Naruto did the first thing that came to mind, reminded of a time with Anko. He raised his own hand, and gripped the larger man's shoulder, then squeezed. Unbidden, a beautiful sunset sprang into being behind them.

Jiraiya's attempts at dispelling it failed. For the first time in his long career, he was helpless against a technique as the ocean waves crashed against the rocky headland, causing a rainbow to appear in the spray.

After a long moment, Gai patted the hand and the sunset scene vanished. He rested both hands on Naruto's thin shoulders, inadvertently driving the boy to both of his knees. Gai, himself, had crouched lower so as to be eye level. "Naruto-kun...Jiraiya-sama, I trust you will abide by our agreement. I am sure that Hokage-sama is waiting for you. With your permission, since you have stated to be his Godfather, I would like to refine his Genjutsu Dispersal and impart upon Naruto-kun ways of self-tutelage in this department."

Jiraiya was a long-time warrior and had faced down many, many awful things. Nothing quite compared, however, to that Total Defense of Maito Gai. He never wanted to see it again, if he could at all help it. He had the feeling that if he stuck around, he would gain the opportunity to attempt to break it again. That scenario made up his mind, and he quickly nodded. "As I said, I will uphold. I'll see Sensei immediately." With that, he was gone.

"Naruto-kun, you have stated your work ethic, and I hope you will not disappoint. Tell me, what is your favorite food?"

"Ramen," came the instant response. "Ichiraku!"

"I see. I am both familiar with the dish and shop. Our lesson will consist of either bowls of ramen or the scent of ramen. It will be up to you to solve the puzzle, and I want you to use the absolute minimum of chakra that you can. There are many out there who can detect chakra, and as such it is an essential skill. I want you to picture yourself in an environment where you would risk discovery if they found you by your energy or stole your meal. I can, at most, give you ten minutes. Let our FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTLY!"

Naruto then understood that nobody had asked this Maito Gai person to help him. He had not been ordered or coerced. Maito Gai was helping him simply because he wanted to help him. It was just that simple. While Iruka-sensei had taught Naruto as part of his probation and was rather ambivalent with regards to his growth, and Jiraiya-teme was motivated by both guilt and remorse, this Maito Gai actually wanted him to succeed without any prompting.

That instantly put Gai into the same category as Ocelot and Anko. To Kurama's great chagrin, an emerald plinth erupted from the soil. Without flaw or blemish, the fifteen by two foot column could have easily purchased a medium-sized country. Maito Gai had made it onto Naruto very short list of personal heroes.

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"Enter. Second bottle on the right and two saucers. I feel we will need a stiff drink or three."

Jiraiya grunted his agreement as he poured a drink for Sensei. "You know I really haven't asked for much, Sensei. I ask you go lightly on the boy, as this is my fault. I was very reluctant to acknowledge him as the son of Minato and Kushina, but he forced my hand. Between the first and second wave, I saw a glint in his eye which was all them and it froze me. He is their son, I underestimated him and was negligent. I will abide."

"I hope you understand, Jiraiya, that there will be reprisals and restitutions. Are you honestly prepared for the consequences?"

Jiraiya sighed and nodded. "I am, Sensei. Or Hokage-sama, if you want my admission officially. I messed up, in more than one way."

Sarutobi beckoned him closer. "Such drudgings can wait. Seeing how Gai has retired from ANBU, I'm now thinking of placing him in a teaching position, most likely generally. An open instructor for any who wish to learn different fighting styles, much like how Hayate is available for those who desire swordsmanship. Observe."

As Sarutobi's pipe smoke made wreaths around his head, they saw Gai still crouched at Naruto's level. Naruto suddenly became still, before a very small chakra wave erupted from him.

["Naruto-kun, very good effort. I know you can do better. I believe in you! For YOUTH!"

"For YOUTH!" Naruto echoed. "Again, Gai-sensei!" just before he went still as another illusion affected his senses.]

"You mean...I...simple praise is the key?"

"So it would seem, Jiraiya. Given Gai's exuberance, I have no doubt that Naruto will be passingly proficient with dispelling simple-layered illusions at the end of this lesson. Such will set the groundwork for breaking out of more complex fabrications. I now understand how Kurama was able to teach the boy so quickly."

"About that, Sensei, just how far do you trust that demon?"

"Very little, Jiraiya. Though I do believe that the entire sealing fiasco was a grave mistake, a demon is a demon, and is only as good as their word. Naruto seems to have figured that out early in the game, as Kurama, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, is oathbound to him. He can neither break his bond nor cause harm to Naruto without suffering some form of backlash from the seal on his forehead.

"Such makes me a bit hopeful for the future. That does not mean I wouldn't like to know the conditions of the oath a bit more fully, but Naruto has proven very reluctant in giving details. Another mistake on my behalf, since if I had kept less from him, he might just trust me a bit more. It might be pure conjecture, but makes for a compelling argument."

"I'm sure you could impress upon him the import..."

"Jiraiya, how did you gather information from Naruto?"

"Um...I attempted the civil route. That reminds me, how soon do you think it'll be before the Market Sector is open?" _'Groceries, clothing, cook books...sealing supplies.'_

"Three, maybe four days. Shopping?" He got a nod. "I could..persuade him to give the details, Jiraiya. I could snap his mind without a thought, extract his deepest hopes and fears, twist them ninety degrees and feed them back into him in an unending loop. But where would that leave us? The keystone, the primary ingredient which keeps his seal functioning is Naruto's will. Without it, the seal falters."

"Good luck with that. I've seen how the villagers..."

Sarutobi quietly and vehemently stated, "I can't kill them all, Jiraiya. This isn't Nemuran no Tani."

_'Valley of Sleeping Orchids.'_ Jiraiya was present during that particular battle, when Sensei set the record for most deaths from a single jutsu. With a mere thought, Sarutobi created basalt and granite golems which sprouted from the surrounding hills, and fifteen feet of pain waded into the Iwa ranks. Their thick arms created swaths of ruin, right before they would pick up a hapless nin and send him hurtling through the ranks at terminal velocity.

Iwa being Iwa had opted for quantity over quality. While it was true that their army was the largest in the elemental lands at the time, they were also fundamentally ill-prepared to face the Professor in combat. In comparison, their mostly Earth-based attacks were weak and ineffective, bouncing off the glossy stone angles, which quickly became tacky with drying blood. Shinobi were used as shuriken and kunai, greatly demoralizing the opposing group. When they turned in rout, Sarutobi caused two massive earthen walls to form, sealing the valley. He would stop both jutsu an hour later and walk away in complete silence.

His record would be broken two decades later when Minato decimated half of Iwa's total army with a single kunai and his Thunder God technique. Men, women and children fell like rain then, splashing against the hard, unrelenting earth in shades of mortality.

Jiraiya took a breath as he resurfaced from his memories, glanced at Sarutobi and drained his saucer. "No, this isn't that place, may their spirits find peace."

Sarutobi nodded and poured for them another drink. "I've been getting reports, Jiraiya. This mistake will be expensive in many ways." At Jiraiya's questioning eyebrow, he continued, "The clans, Jiraiya. Nara, Akimichi, Inuzuka and Aburame. Some of that last clan have been gravely injured. It is most fortunate that there were no deaths. At least for now. We'll have a better picture within a week."

Jiraiya pinched the bridge of his nose, before downing his saucer in one movement. "Barring loss of life, send me the bill. I've been saving up for a rainy day, and it seems we've had a shitstorm on this one. I'll do what I can information-wise to defuse this situation. I say we blame Kumo. Hidden Cloud was involved in the failed Hyuuga kidnapping a year ago."

Sarutobi understood his student. "Kumo and Oto. In case you don't know, your old teammate is trying to build for him a tower in Rice."

Jiraiya paused, as that was something he did not know. "He started a hidden village? That cannot be good."

"Understatement, Jiraiya. I already have pieces in motion." There was a knock at the door. "Enter."

Maito Gai stepped into the office, one hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Ah, I've been expecting you Gai. I accept your resignation and have prepared a teaching position for you."

Gai bowed at the waist. "Hokage-sama, I apologize for the abruptness. Once I met Uzumaki-san, I could no longer work from the shadows. He has inspired me to burst forth into the LIGHT, to show these depressed peoples the FLAMES of YOUTH that they too might awaken until a NEW DAY."

Sarutobi's right eyebrow twitched several times. "Anko."

With a sudden displacement of air, Anko appeared in a kneeling position, her trench-coat excess billowing around her feet. "Your will, Hokage-sama?"

She sensed Naruto in the room, catching his finger motions with a subtle glance to the side.

"I've missed you too, turdling. I promise I'll be by if the Old Man lets me."

"Perhaps. For now, Naruto-kun, we have some serious things to discuss."

Anko quirked an eyebrow. "You mean all this is from him?" She got a terse nod. "I'm not sure if I should be proud of you or not, Naruto-kun. Well, I _am_ , but I'm not sure if Hokage-sama agrees with that position. He could very well push more paperwork on me."

For his part, Sarutobi merely gave her a grin. She was instantly worried.

"Anko, I know you have been rather busy and stressed as an apprentice to Ibiki. I've also noticed that your latest physical performance review was lacking. Perhaps I've kept you behind a desk too long. Too remedy this, you are hereby ordered to a month of training with Maito Gai, our new Taijutsu instructor. I am positive that your skills will improve by leaps and bounds, as he is rather well versed in numerous styles."

Gai's smile was blinding. "Yosh! By your leave, Hokage-sama. We'll begin immediately." At the nod, he touched her shoulder, her eyes wide with shock, and they were gone.

"That was cruel."

"Nonsense. I have every faith that they will help each other. She will gain additional skills and he will become acclimated to a teaching role." There was a brief pause. "Where's Naruto?"

"Um...he was right...hrm. I'm not sure if Gai ever took his hand off the boy's shoulder. Having a single passenger with a Shunshin is taxing enough. I can't imagine what transporting two would feel like. I do hope Gai's Flames of Youth don't wane."

"Don't you start as well. I'm sure he'll be fine. And you have two minutes to find Naruto and bring him back here."

"What?"

"Minute-fifty."

Jiraiya's saucer clinked on the desktop by his empty chair.

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In the end, spies from Kumo and Oto were implicated, though it was felt that Uzumaki bore some responsibility for his reaction from having stumbled across them. It _had_ been his chakra waves which had caused all the mayhem. Of the twenty-seven Major and Minor Clans and three-hundred and seventy Families (one step below Minor Clan) which were affected, around twenty had agreed to allow Naruto to make physical restitution in the form of chores and related tasks. The requests had been screened for punitive rationales, which winnowed the options to two houses. They were the Uchiha and Aburame.

While the Uchiha had been affected indirectly, being the major component of the Police Force, individual members of the Aburame household had been placed in intensive care due to their hives turning against them. It was only their experience, and the rapid response of their relations, which kept death away that day.

There was also the matter of trust. One of the two, Sarutobi did not.

So it was that during the month of April, Naruto found himself before a functional, practical gate, lightly ornamented in with a honeysuckle theme. It was not grand, ostentatious, elaborate, or even manned. There was a simple bell pull next to the gate, made of brass. Almost immediately following the tone, the gate swung open noiselessly and he stepped into the Hive.

The Aburame had migrated to Konoha from Iwa some sixty years prior and were granted a section along the far edge of the then small village. At the time, the nearest part to the village was a good ten miles distant. This was by mutual consent. In time, as the Aburame showed their prowess in battle and business, their fortunes grew. This allowed them to buy properties on the cheap as the neighboring buildings would all be strangely vacant and unowned.

As if acting on some internal blueprint, once they reached nine square miles, the purchases ceased. Then, with some imaginative restructuring, the entire property was covered, punctuated by chimneys, smokestacks and 'breathing' pipes. This allowed them to carefully control greenhouses, apiaries, hive clusters, and residential atmospheric conditions. In the long expanse of their curved outer wall, there were only two gates. One was sized for an average person, the other for a drawn cart of standard size.

Naruto walked cautiously through the green entry hall, the tint coming from the bottle-glass ceiling. The affect was almost like being underwater. Exactly twenty-five feet past the gate, he came to a perfectly square brown door, fitted with a single knocker in the door's geometric center. He had barely touched the knocker when the door opened, revealing a tall, thin man wearing pants and a high-collared jacket. Naruto briefly glimpsed a narrow mustache below the dark shades, from which hung twin strands fitted with multi-colored beads.

"Uzumaki-san, you are early." The voice was deep and flat. "Come, we have things to discuss before we begin."

The door was opened wider to permit Naruto entry, where he was then directed to follow this man down a grassy hallway on the immediate right. Naruto could hear the hum, could feel it in his bones. Just for a moment, when he crossed the threshold, it had ceased before resuming. He had the feeling that everyone in this place knew he was there. His guess wasn't far off the mark.

Inside, Kurama was highly attentive, stretching out Naruto's senses. Only rarely had he actually crossed paths with an Aburame, and as such they were an unknown quantity to him. This was the perfect opportunity to learn of them in their native environment. Perhaps once he was free of this cage, he would return for a few. His time as Naruto's prisoner had re-awakened his scientific curiosity.

Naruto was led into a room with a wide and shallow stone basin surrounded by benches. Along the walls, various climber vines wound their way up to the ceiling, which was a network of lattice and wicker, slightly dipping in the center.

"Sit." The guide noticed Naruto's wide and expressive eyes. "This is one of our breather rooms, which also functions as a resting area and cistern. The organic growth both cools the room and functions as an air scrubber, while the pitch of the ceiling directs rain water into the basin. Harmony and efficiency. Before we move on, you will tell me of the incident and the subsequent chakra dispersals."

Naruto knew this was not a request, but a demand. Were he not saddled with the truth of the harm he had caused this place, he might have rebelled. His options were further narrowed when his host said, "Do not think to lie to me, Uzumaki-san. I have many ways to detect a falsehood. Deceive me, and I will escort you out, and will be forever against you. To date, we have been neutral."

"I...um...can I speak freely?"

The request was considered briefly. He got a nod.

"I was angry at Jiraiya-sensei," he blurted out. "He knew of my parents and refused to tell me anything of them. I had only recently learned of them, learned that I had been wanted and still he refused me. I only wanted to know what they were like. Is that too much to ask?

"So I...I acted out and petulantly? petulantly followed his directions to the letter. And again, and a third time. I wasn't thinking of the consequences, I just wanted to get back at him, make him look bad. He makes me so _angry_."

He paused, took a breath, and bowed low at the waist. "I humbly apologize for the harm I have caused your family, Aburame-san."

"Why did you use so much, Uzumaki? A lot of chakra went through here. You caused a lot of...disorder."

Still bowed and looking at his sandals, Naruto answered, "I honestly do not know how much was used, Aburame-sa...sama. I don't know how to tell."

"Explain."

"I...though Jiraiya-sensei told me to gather all of my chakra, I didn't. I used just a portion. That's how I could do more than one in a row."

His eyebrows rose past his shades. After a moment, he said, "Eyes up, Uzumaki-san. You may call me Shibi."

"Shibi-sama?" He got a nod. "Thank you, Shibi-sama. Um...if I may, what are those things hanging from your shades?"

Shibi glanced up and thought for a moment before nodding. "The colored beads indicate a numerical value. Taken together, the colors indicate how many I have killed, so that I may never forget them, so that I will remember the cost."

Naruto's jaw dropped. He quickly stammered, "I...I didn't mean to offend, Shibi-sama!"

Shibi raised his hand in a placating fashion. "Curiosity, of itself, is not a bad thing, Uzumaki-san."

"Naruto."

"Naruto-san, have none taught you to gauge your chakra?"

"Gai-sensei, but only for ten minutes. Everyone else is either busy or dead."

Shibi frowned behind his collar. He had been given instructions to observe the boy's emotional state, and already it was bleak. "I see. I will work on your control then. Our hives are very sensitive to emotions and chakra, Naruto-san.

"Too much of either will upset the balance, so it is imperative that you be able to gauge how much is too much or not enough. I do this for my clan, as we do not want another incident of your energy upsetting our colonies. I even sacrifice my happiness, as my own hives are rather upset with your proximity."

Naruto took a few steps backwards, until the backs of his knees touched a bench. Shibi could see in his demeanor that Naruto was not reacting negatively to the insects within Shibi's body, but was giving them space in an act of appeasement. His view of the boy improved, just a little.

"Tell me what you can do with your chakra."

"I can wall-walk...and run."

Shibi made a motion and Naruto was on the wall. For some reason, he really did not want to upset or disappoint this person. In spite of everything, and most abnormally, Aburame Shibi had yet to raise his voice or hand at Naruto, and that counted for something.

"I am...surprised, Naruto-san. Who taught you this?"

"Ocelot-sensei, Iruka-sensei and Anko-sensei." Shibi knew of all three, though Mitarashi was a bit too excitable for his tastes.

"There is a vine by your right hand. You are to pluck three leaves. One leaf you will affix to your forehead, the other two to either cheek. Then you will reduce the amount of chakra to keep them in place until the left cheek loses its grip. You will then remove all three and reapply them, restarting when you have lowered your chakra to the point where the forehead leaf falls, but not the cheeks. Concentrate and determine how much energy is required for each leaf. You are to stay on the wall. Take your time, we have all day."

This was true. The Aburame would have Naruto for the next thirty days, for twelve hours each weekday. It was worth spending a few days in teaching Naruto chakra control if it meant fewer mishaps for the rest of the time. The exercises were for their own piece of mind. Otherwise, they were only required to provide a mid-day meal.

The other stipulation was that if the clan was dissatisfied with Naruto's labor, they would retain him for another six weeks, and another, until he passed their standards. Most of the clan agreed with the terms, since having Naruto there for an extended time would passively inoculate their hives against his tainted chakra, further reducing the chance of a repeat collapse.

Most of his time would be spent in the greenhouses. He was assigned three days per week in them, though not always the same one. The other two days were spent wandering the nine square miles, never straying from the greenways. Equipped with a marked ruler and five head of sheep, he would keep the grass in the breathing rooms and paths exactly one and three-quarters of an inch high.

It was in the greenhouses that he found harmony and a semblance of inner peace. There was something about each zone, even those with artificial light, which resonated deep within his soul. Places he had only read about were presented in miniature, the micro-climates sustained by heavy doors and permanent seals.

Naruto's mind blossomed. On the other side of the cliff from which fell the waterfall between twenty-foot stone portraits of his parents, a desert appeared. It was not of shifting sands, but the hard gravel and grit, punctuated by scrub and hearty flowers. There was even a massive green thing called a saguaro, its arms pointing towards the Heavens, along with other prickly cacti of all shapes and sizes.

Beneath the waterfall, and past Ocelot's Island, the water which fed the riparian zone slowed as it wound through a swamp, teeming with insect life and large reptiles. The deep waters would eventually move through a sub-tropical area of dense carpets of greenery rising from paper-thin soil.

The river would flatten as it sliced through high plains of wild rye and wheat before joining a fast moving icy cataract from the distant glacial peaks. At the place which Kurama considered the bounds of consciousness, the combined river flowed through a canyon between impassable peaks and over a rocky lip. To the sound of the waterfall's thunderous boom, sheets of spray roiled and rose in clouds, wreathing the space beyond with impenetrable white.

Kurama would often wonder what was on the other side.

Naruto knew the terms of his probation, and was sorely tempted to screw up, just so he could keep coming back to the many greenhouses. It was only the thought of disappointing Shibi-sama which kept him from this course of action. Though Aburame Shibi had told him that his continued presence, outside of Council meetings, was a personal responsibility as he was Clan Head, the same man had given Naruto a greenhouse placement schedule so that he could dress appropriately.

He had received the list following the single time, during the first week, that he had tended a Mild Temperate Zone on Wednesday and a Deep Tropical Zone on Friday. He had been wearing the same outfit as he had on Wednesday, the end result being that his clothing had gained ten pounds and he was completely soaked within fifteen minutes of exposure.

Outside of the Hokage, only a few people, all of them in high ranking government positions, knew that the bulk of the poisons, toxins, ingredients, salves and medicines used in the various agencies and by the hospital came from the Aburame greenhouses. The Yamanaka clan was the public face, and one of the Aburame's prime distributors.

The other prime commodity came from a very specific greenhouse, which was technically a whitehouse. The ambient temperature was kept below freezing, in large thanks to cunningly crafted and permanent seals, for those few rare plants and lichen which thrived in the colder expanses. The light was synthetic, set to specific wavelengths which alternated every three minutes and sixteen seconds.

The side product was ice. It was virtually free to create, very inexpensive to distribute, and the Aburame could sell clear twenty pound blocks at a pittance and still turn a healthy profit. Given their communal sense of fairness, they undercut the closest competition by a good forty percent. Those that tried to convince them to change their business model learned to respect their hidden strength. As such, a good ninety percent of all ice used in Konoha came from the Hive.

Naruto became the second non-Aburame to learn the Secret of the Block. There were specific seals placed on their ice-wagon, which would prevent the ice from melting even in direct sunlight until it was taken off the cart. The seals were powered by the people, literally. The Hokage turned a blind eye to the crime of chakra theft, as the Aburame provided many essential services and asked for very little. It was their viewpoint that since everyone wanted ice, everyone should help keep it cold.

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Since he was still officially registered as a student, it would be during the fifth week of his probation, on May 1, that Naruto's name would be entered in the Genin Exam. Once again, he would fail by absence.

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It was agreed upon that it would be in Naruto's best interest not to enter the Academy during mid-term. He would begin the second week of November. For his part, Naruto rarely left his property once his probation was completed.

Rare too were his visits to Ichiraku. He was no longer that ignorant little boy; he hadn't been since the initial data dump. Ocelot dying in his arms had very nearly broken his young mind. Naruto was all too aware of the cost of being associated with him. So to prevent the Ichiraku family from having to pay that butcher's bill, his meals there were few and far between, and never during normal hours.

The rest of the time was spent slowly cleaning up the property. During his probation, those long hours meant little time for anything more than picking up all the bits of window glass from the chakra cube explosion. After his probation though, that was another story.

His exposure to the myriad gardens, greenhouses, and micro-climates had awoken something within himself. He began to see his property of four apartment buildings surrounding a park as more than just numbers. Those many environs had changed his outlook, just a bit, and he began to see the possibilities his property possessed.

With no peerage friends, his only real friend being his senior by almost a decade, there were none to split the workload. Nor did he have the tools to do anything more substantial than knock out already broken windows and sweep. One thing he did have, though, was a game called Genin Team, and all it needed was a receipt.

The receipt was the linchpin, for without it, the entire game fell apart. Naruto had learned this after the first time he had tried to hire for a D-rank, and his paperwork was lost. It would be lost regardless, but if he managed to acquire a receipt, interesting things happened.

He would leave a copy of it at a dead drop on roof 4, and the ANBU on rotation would eventually pick it up and deliver it to the Hokage. This was only done when Naruto was certain that Jiraiya was in the village, as he had managed to guilt a basic timetable from the Sage. Sarutobi would get the message and receipt, summon Jiraiya, and leave it up to the reluctant godfather to fix.

Jiraiya would _always_ fix the problem, Without Jiraiya, Naruto would receive a refund, minus processing fees; though Sarutobi would and could do many things on Naruto's behalf, in this he had to be impartial. With Jiraiya, however, Naruto could expect upwards of _three_ full genin teams. Even if Naruto had not been his godson, Jiraiya was also an orphan, and remembered keenly the feeling of being brushed aside and swindled; if he were in the correct mood, something would be done.

That said, Naruto was his godson, and was being played by some bureaucrat with a grudge. For them, Jiraiya would muster up his own self-loathing and guilt, which was sizable, and unleash all sorts of verbal hell upon the middle management and career pencil pushers. The paperwork would be found, the anger and guilt would be heavily laden, and Naruto would get three teams for the price of one.

Jiraiya had known why Naruto needed more able-bodied people, and had approved of the boy using his own funds for personal projects. There wasn't much more Naruto would allow him to do, aside from the odd grocery run. _'Perhaps I could gift him with some sealing primers, maybe a few supplies. Of course, the trick will be getting him to accept them without a fight first.'_ To date, all of his other gifts, those cookbooks, notes and sealing supplies, had all been returned to sender, waiting in Sarutobi's office for Jiraiya's arrival. Nothing to date had been read, the spines still unbent, the parcels unopened.

Sarutobi, knowing that both godfather and godson had stubborn streaks, played the mediator by storing those spurned gifts, to be regifted by his own hands at a later date without the stigma of being from Jiraiya.

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For the week of October 10, Naruto had been smuggled into the Ichiraku household. In the back of the kitchen, near where Naruto had temporarily enjoyed birthday ramen the year before, was a shrine in Ocelot's memory. Sarutobi and Anko were in attendance the evening of the ninth, when they lit tapers and incense sticks to guide Ocelot's path that she might join their company.

It was afterwards that Anko turned to Naruto and simply said, "Good job, turdling."

"Huh?"

"The statue. It's beautiful, yanno. Makes me kinda wonder what you might have in store for little old me." She gave him a toothy grin.

Before she could terrorize the boy overmuch, Sarutobi interjected, "Bear-san was instrumental in making your vision a reality, Naruto-kun. I realize you do not move about much, so you might not have seen it. Bear-san found a spot on the western side of the Hokage Monument and pulled up a hidden aquifer from deep underground.

"It actually rests below the monument, so the water rises 570 feet, flows West another twenty, then plummets 233 feet into a basin at ground level. He also helped me form the island and statue, the chimes of which are in constant motion from the waterfall's spray. All of ANBU are aware of your homage, and the site has become rather popular for meditation and therapeutic exercises. As per your request, your name as originator has been withheld from the public."

With a glance towards Anko for guidance, Naruto slowly stepped into the hug. Sarutobi rubbed his back and continued, "After the Festival, I will give you an eagle-eye view from atop the Monument. Judging from their reaction, if you ever want to beautify this village, simply show me and I will make it a reality." _'Would that their views would change. He could quickly become a highly sought-after landscaper.'_

This would be his most peaceful birthday to date. There were no attacks, no thrown items, not even a hurled insult; most importantly, there were no crowds. Just him in the presence of most of his important people. That didn't mean he was completely at ease, though Naruto tried to be for the sake of the others.

He was seven, and in a few more weeks, he would finally be able to attend the Academy. He understood the concept of peers and playmates, but as of yet, those were abstract notions. Perhaps this coming school year would change that. With any luck, he wouldn't have to deal with any of the children who had tormented him at their parent's bidding.

Little did he know that his class would consist, almost entirely, of Major and Minor Clans, and the Families just beneath them.


	12. Anger Management

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous chapter: Aftermath of Naruto's Chakra Bursts and his introduction to the Aburame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

Though bright outside, the wooden slat blinds performed admirably, filtering out most of the glare for the two people present. They sat in plush chairs, with an empty third arranged in a triangle. The low table before them was covered loosely with file folders and a legal pad.

The male took a slow sip of tea. "Well?"

His companion replied, "Mizuki is in place. He's deep in our pockets now. It wasn't easy to get him a teaching position given his record and mental evaluation. His file was rather thick."

"True. When will the rotation place him with the Kyuubi brat?"

"Two months, three on the outside."

"I do hope your underlings have impressed upon him the importance of his role in all of this."

"You're not nervous, are you?" She poured herself a cup, savoring the tangy aroma. "Mmmm...lemon grass. His leash is short, and unless he wants to find his medication cut, he'll play nicely."

"What about the border?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "A headache, that's what it is. We've lost a lot in cash and materials, and will have to adjust our plans. Oto's been plagued by a series of raids, in classic Kumo fashion, but we can't be sure. That damn snake better make good on some promises if we're to recoup our losses, not that the Brat's incident helped in any way."

" _That_ was a right cock-up." He got a rather unladylike grunt of assent. "I've heard he's sought out other avenues of funding. My source lost his trail in Grass...we will continue this later. He comes."

The door opened shortly after and Danzou painfully shuffled inside, closing the door behind him. "Homura, Koharu-san. You are early." He moved to the empty chair, accepting the offered tea with a nod. "No matter. Let us begin. What is on the docket today?"

Homaru passed him the legal pad, with nary a flicker of annoyance. Danzou had refused to ever add any honorific with him, since they were children.

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Naruto was just a bit frustrated. The first day started off poorly, as the moment he stepped foot in the room, it fell silent. Nobody even looked at him as he moved higher up the seating tiers to a suddenly vacated row. When the instructor came in, wearing a puzzled expression at the lack of noise on the first day, it shifted into a carefully blank mask upon seeing Naruto. Things did not improve when it came time for their school supplies.

A shinobi's education was technically free, as were all their textbooks, workbooks and supplies. This included their first set of shuriken, kunai and senbon needles. The catch was a minimum seven year contract, barring death, but even that wasn't a guaranteed out. A dead Konoha nin could still serve the Village by assisting a Med-nin with their anatomy studies.

It wasn't that Naruto was passed over or completely ignored. He did get his basic supplies, but not the text or workbooks. It was a minor setback, as there were four other students, all with surnames past his, who also did not receive those materials. "Tomorrow or the next day," the teacher had said.

The next day, those four kids were no longer part of the class. One had been removed by her parents, while the three boys had transferred to other rooms. No books again, maybe tomorrow. "We never leave a companion behind, even in the classroom setting. We will do introductions today and will wait until everyone has the proper materials." Naruto had felt their pressure, that he was the one holding everyone back. He was also aware that this was by design.

When Wednesday came, there were the textbooks and workbooks, sitting on his desk. He was the only one in the classroom, and had stayed there for a little while after the opening bell. Then he stayed a bit longer. To pass the time until someone came in to tell him where his new class would be, he opened the textbook to the first chapter.

It was quickly flung down towards the teacher's desk, black pages fluttering. Checking the other tomes and workbooks, all Naruto could feel was a numbing sort of anger. Gathering his things, he made his way down to the main level and retrieved his book.

Thirty minutes later, he was sitting on a bench in the hallway by Yoshinibi's desk, waiting for the Hokage to be free.

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"Hokage-sama, he's here."

"Thank you, Yoshinibi-san. Please send him in." A slightly balding man in a soft yellow suit stepped into the office. "Oomugi-san, glad you could make it. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you, your Grace. I came as soon as I was able."

"Tea? And I understand completely. The Academy seems to be rather full this time around. There has been some discussion of opening another Shinobi Center, as well as expanding the lessons offered in each. What are your thoughts?"

"Ah, yes, Hokage-sama. That would definitely take the strain off of the Academy, and would better serve as a screener. As is, we have some over-crowding issues. I'm sure things will even out within a month or so after the first round of testing."

Sarutobi took a sip of tea and sigh contentedly. "I wouldn't want too many washouts. Even if a student never becomes an active shinobi, being well versed in the protocols and tenets would prepare them for more administrative tasks. Competency is always in high demand. Tell me, how are the supplies holding out?"

"There were some distribution hiccups at first, due to the oversized classes, but I'm happy to say everything has been sorted out. Every child has a full educational kit, lunch coupon booklet, and the workbooks and textbooks required for the term. I would like to introduce Academy uniforms. Some of the garish things these children wear would easily get them targeted in the field. Perhaps something similar to standard Chuunin and Jounin garb?"

"An excellent idea, Headmaster. I'll present it before the Council at the next Budgeting session. I did have a question for you, however. Actually, it's not so much a question as a puzzlement. Could you explain _this_ to me?"

Sarutobi pulled a entry level textbook out of one of his desk drawers and handed it to Oomugi. The Shinobi Academy's Headmaster saw nothing curious about the book. It even looked and smelled brand new, as it should. He flipped it open at Sarutobi's urging and paled. He began rifling through the pages, a blur of black.

Every page had been edited with a marker or paint. Every single word except for the articles, such as 'the' and 'an,' was covered in black. Not even the illustrations had been spared. _'How the blazes did this book get here? It was supposed to be the Kyu...'_ He looked up into the calm brown gaze of his Hokage with wild eyes. "I can explain, Hokage-sama."

"There is no need, Ambassador Oomugi. I believe you've said enough."

Oomugi only had a moment to hysterically think, _'Ambassador?'_ before Sarutobi spoke to the room in general. "Team Sierra."

Oomugi's personal space became crowded as he felt the people appear behind him and to the sides. Casting his eyes in either direction showed sturdy black fabric and blackened armor plates. As one, they chorused, "Your will, Hokage-sama?"

"Please escort Kirigakure's newest Ambassador to his home that he might ready himself for this latest career shift. Your assignment is his safety until he disembarks on their shores. I expect great things of you, Ambassador. Dismissed."

After a moment, he stood and went around the desk to retrieve Naruto's textbook from where it had fallen on the floor. _'Do they not understand what is at risk here?'_ He sighed as he sat back down.

"If I have to, I'll buy his books myself. Yoshinibi-san."

After a moment, the office door cracked open. "You called, Hokage-sama?" She was shaken, as Sarutobi's voice was audible even out here. This was by design, as he knew of her rudeness regarding Naruto. Such was not quite enough to dismiss her, notwithstanding her tea.

"Send someone to the Academy's distribution warehouse. Have them procure for me two copies of every textbook, workbook and pamphlet, for the entire Academy term, from first year to last. Word the request as a curriculum evaluation."

"As you will, Hokage-sama. I'll have the materials for you directly."

"Thank you, Yoshinibi-san. Dismissed."

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"How are you feeling, Naruto-kun?"

He looked up at the Hokage as they walked down the polished hallway. "More than a bit frustrated, Hokage-sama."

"I am sorry for what has happened, Naruto-kun. Sadly, I cannot be everywhere when someone is being spiteful." Spiteful was an understatement. Three separate classrooms were occupied one day, then vacated, with the exception of Naruto, the next. The hint was anything but subtle.

"Ah, here we are. I believe this instructor will be one known to you, Naruto-kun. In hindsight, I should have placed him in your first class."

Naruto looked puzzled, realization blooming a moment before the door was slid open. Forty pairs of eyes turned at the sound. One of them cleared its throat.

"Go along now, Naruto-kun. Iruka-kun, I trust you are well? I will leave you to your students. Good day, and good luck."

Naruto stepped into the room and slid the door shut behind him. His pack with his new books, the complete curriculum set for first year students, banged against his hip. Also included was a cookbook, notes on housekeeping tips and techniques, and an introduction to sealing, with requisite supplies for the sealing and cooking recipes and formulas. These were in and by Sarutobi's own hand, as he had abused his own shadow clones to copy Jiraiya's hand written works into his own.

Though he could have used earth clones, with which he was much more proficient, along with them have a much lower cost of usage, he had wanted to impart the importance of this project, and his own guilt in the boy's handling, adding his own notes and observations to his student's offerings.

Iruka was nervous. He had caught the Hokage's eyes just before his leader walked down the hall. It was a look which said, "There will be no mistakes."

He motioned for the boy to come forward. "Uzumaki-san, please introduce yourself to the class."

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am seven and am eager to learn. Please treat me well." Then, to Iruka's inner surprise, Naruto bowed at the waist.

"Ahem. Yes. Thank you, Naruto-kun. Please take a seat." His eyes briefly scanned the young faces, noting with some satisfaction that they were all quiet and attentive. They were oddly quiet.

He watched as the boy took his first steps forward and up the incline, as each classroom had tiered seating, and bent down to retrieve his lesson plan from his satchel.

Naruto had made it to the third row when feet began to appear in the aisle. One clipped his ankle and he turned his head to the instigator. He never saw the kick on the other side of the aisle, only felt it when his kneecap shifted to the side as his leg collapsed. A brief roll later and he bumped up against Iruka's desk.

Iruka looked up at the sound and scowled. _'I just know I'm going to get blamed for this.'_ "Who did this?! I will ask again, who did this? Fine!" He made two seals and twins of him formed out of the air, one standing before each side of the class. He moved over to Naruto. "Can you stand on your other leg?"

Naruto gritted his teeth and nodded. Seeing an attack coming is one thing, being caught unawares was quite another. It was an unexpected Pain Lesson. "Come, I'll take you to the Infirmary. Everyone else, on your desk. I said on your desk! Move!"

There was a moment of controlled chaos as the children scrambled out of their chairs and onto the slightly curved surface. "Since nobody did this, everyone is responsible. You will all do squats until I return. We will continue our lesson then."

One of the Water Clones glared at the children before him. "You heard the Boss. One-two-three-one! One-two-three-two! One-two-three-"

Naruto, supported by Iruka, slipped into the hallway. Neither noticed the physical contact, with Iruka slipping unconsciously into Support protocols.

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"My cautious optimism is beginning to wane, Iruka-sensei." Getting medical treatment from the on-site physicians had caused a minor scene.

Iruka sighed, not for the first time today, and slid the door open. The medics reminded him too strongly of his own temperament, so many months ago. All three of them had been reported and removed. "Things will improve. You'll see. Take your seat. The rest of you, off the desks. Report."

"Most of them fell out after twenty and were made to stand in one spot until you returned, Boss. A few whines and sniffles, nothing serious."

"I see. Dismissed." They dispelled, the water vapor returning to the air. He had the undivided attention of the class. He noted, with a slightly sour taste, that there had been some seating rearranging. Naruto would have a triple seat desk to himself for the time being. The dark look on the boy's face was a pretty good indicator that he knew what was going on.

This time, he kept his eyes on the class while Naruto moved towards his seat.

"Books out, Chapter Three. You, in the pink."

"Haruno Sakura, Iruka-sensei!"

"Sakura-chan, stand and read the first paragraph." _'This has been nothing but another test. I'm really starting to hate politics.'_ He pointed at the Uchiha, who stood and enthusiastically started on the next section. _'Bad enough all the crap I took from having tutored that boy. Then the sing-song rendition of Naruto's Iruka-says speech. I can feel the headache already forming. There's been enough crap going around after Headmaster Oomugi was reassigned and sent to a war-zone. I've never seen so many panic attacks.'_

He pointed at the Kazawa boy. _'Good family, that one. Well, with a class of clan heirs and important children, this will definitely be a feather in my cap if most, if not all pass. Having the Uchiha might be a boon if his Sharingan activates. Having the Top Rookie of all the Rookies in my class will shut those smug bastards up. Bureaucrats, the lot of em!'_ He pointed at Uzumaki, making sure to include him in class activities.

_'Hrm...perhaps I should've visited after Ocelot's death, though I was under no obligation to do so. Now that was a royal mess,'_ He paused in his thoughts. _'I had no idea how greatly she was respected for one so young. I will visit today to offer my apology to her._

_'Never did get the full scope of what Kyuubi was teaching the kid. Hopefully, this environment will either offset or give a better understanding of his mindset while the Village can still do something about it. Hopefully...I too have not been all that kind. What the...'_ He appeared suddenly behind a trio of girls, leaning over two of their shoulders ominously. "Is there something you'd like to discuss with the rest of the class?" The trio had been planning a nasty prank on Kyuubi's host.

They 'eeped' and ducked their heads low. There was a soft snort from behind. "You're Hana's brother, yes?"

The brown boy's eyes twitched as he nodded. "Kiba, Iruka-sensei."

"Well, Kiba-kun? You have something to add?"

"No offense or anything, Iruka-sensei, but what the hell is that _thing_ doing in here?" He didn't turn, but jerked his thumb over his shoulder, hiding his own grin at what was planned. Iruka glanced up three rows to a stoic Naruto, whose eyes were fixed upon the chalkboard. "This is a _Clan_ class, Iruka-sensei."

He glanced down at the boy, sensed an incoming projectile, and let it hit. Kiba yelped in pain at the pencil stuck in his thumb as a young brassy voice piped up from the other side, two rows up. "Clans and Families, idiot! He has a point though, Iruka-sensei. Why is...he here?" _'Can't you put him anywhere else? Geeze!'_

"He is not going to be placed anywhere else, Ino-chan. This is his classroom too."

The one called Ino had wide eyes as she turned to her row companions. "Did I say that last part aloud?"

The one quietly munching on chips nodded, while the other one muttered, "Troublesome."

"Shut it!" _'Geeze, why's everyone so defensive? It's not my fault nobody likes him.'_

"I'm right here, Yamanaka-san. There's no reason to pretend that I am not," came the voice from the side. Though soft, it carried.

Her eyes went wide again. "Did I just..."

The large boy nodded again, his cheeks red from contact embarrassment. The dark haired boy on the other side simply muttered, "Troublesome."

"Shut it!"

Iruka had moved back down to the front and cleared his throat. All eyes focused on him, with the exception of Naruto. He was intently gazing at a spot two inches from Iruka's head, off to the side. "We will break for lunch. Meet back here in an hour. Yamanaka, you will stay behind."

Her eyes were huge and her cheeks flushed in shame as she caught the snickers. Once the class was empty, he motioned her down to the chalkboard.

"This is your lesson, Ino-chan. I want you to write 'I will think before I speak, lest I dine upon my feet.' You will fill this wall with small letters, of no greater than an inch in height. Whether you do it now or after class matters not to me, but it will be done today. Enjoy your lunch."

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He sat under one of the many trees, his back firmly against the rough bark. _'This isn't turning out quite like I had expected, Kurama-sensei.'_

**"What did you expect? Did you actually think the ignorant would suddenly gain wisdom the moment you stepped through the doors? Suck it up and do what you must to ensure victory. At least your hairless ape..."**

_'Kurama-sensei!'_ Outwardly, he calmly bit into his apple.

**"Fine. At least Sarutobi came through. His gift this morning was rather unexpected, I will admit. We will go through the package in full this evening."** He turned and glanced behind him. Two stone slabs, leaning drunkenly against one another, were one of the remnants following the Sundering. They were the embodiment of his anger, and ground against one another as each slight and insult was added to his deteriorating mood.

**"And although we both dislike that Hermit, for various reasons, I think it time to accept his gifts, those many books. Sarutobi has kept them all, hoping you would come around, if even just for the knowledge."**

Given the child's age, Kurama could understand the shunning of gifts given by one untrusted and disliked. On the other side of things, was knowledge, new things, new ideas. Given how Naruto was initially given highly edited textbooks, one would think he'd be a bit more accepting of information free given. He was not privy to Sarutobi gift manipulation.

_'I will think on it.'_ There was brief pause. _'Someone comes.'_ After a moment of silence, there was a crunch of gravel. The walker was taking solid measured steps, each with the same time delay. The mysterious pedestrian did not go past Naruto's location, but stopped some five feet away. There was a shifting sound as the small stones were ground underfoot.

"Uzumaki-san, I am Aburame Shino."

Naruto turned first his head, followed by his body, once he determined there were no others around. "Aburame-san, what can I do for you. Also, if you would, please send my regards to Shibi-sama."

The high-collared boy nodded once from his crouched position, his darkened glasses reflecting Naruto's legs. "I will do this for you at dinner, when next I see my father."

He now had Naruto's complete attention. "Thank you. Um, also, if it's not too much, could you ask if he needs a hand in the greenhouses?"

The boy known as Shino raised an eyebrow. "How do you know of those?"

"Um...he didn't tell you? It was part of my probation. The Clans and Families were allowed to gain my labor for thirty days. Hokage-sama ultimately sent me to the Hive where I spent the next six weeks helping in the greenhouses and keeping the grass precisely one and three-quarters of an inch high. Shibi-sama was the one who would escort me to each job site. It was this past April."

"I see. You may call me Shino, Uzumaki-san." Shino was very familiar with the groundskeeping, sheep and ruler.

"Naruto."

The dark haired boy nodded. "My hive does not like you, Naruto-san, but they will not tell me why. They speak in a very old dialect so that I may not understand. Perhaps you will tell me why?"

Naruto paused. _'This is an Aburame and Shibi-sama's son. If anything, they'll probably be the most understanding. Time to test the waters.'_ "I have..." He paused as he picked his words carefully. "I have something within me, placed there at birth."

Both of Shino's eyebrows shot to his hairline. _'That sounds like us. We are introduced to our first hive at birth. Could he be a relation?'_

"Just as you are not at liberty to speak freely about clan issues to outsiders, so too am I not at liberty to divulge some secrets. I do know that your beetles and what is inside of me have a long history of contention. That is the most logical reason for the animosity."

Kurama snorted. The 'long history' went back to the Dinner when Kurama had been, quite literally, swarmed. Even now, he gave the swamp and several flower fields a wide berth.

"I see. I will stay by you, Naruto-san. If they dislike being around you, then I will annoy them until they speak plainly." Shino and Naruto, both seven, nodded at this logic.

Naruto reached into his bag and pulled out another apple, which he tossed to Shino. "Your Kikai might like the juice."

It was a planned action, as Naruto knew he needed allies outside of the Hokage, and his time with the Aburame had, at worst, been neutral. If this Shino was indeed Shibi-sama's son, then small actions like this would lead to bigger things. Kurama approved of these thoughts.

Lunch turned out to be a relative peaceful affair, with neither saying much after that. They were some of the first to return to class, where they couldn't help but notice the blond girl with a red face hard at work, writing a phrase over and over again on the chalkboard. The boys looked at each other and shrugged, and headed to their respective seats.

A moment later, Shino stood at the end of Naruto's desk row. "Naruto-san, if you sit on the far end, I will take this other end. The middle seat would be a buffer for our occupants. That is, if you wouldn't mind the company."

Naruto had become rather still. He glanced over at the dark boy and saw nothing to indicate deceit in his posture. Not quite trusting his voice, he asked softly, "Really?"

"Really."

"Is...is that a grin behind that collar?"

"Maybe."

"Okay then. I'd be honored, Shino-san." The honorific was used to show Naruto's respect for the boy. He was the first to ever approach alone, gave Naruto a polite distance and lacked the scent of guile. Given how isolated he was, all those things counted for something. He was unaware of how this went both ways.

Shino pulled out his new chair and took a seat at Naruto's table as Naruto shifted down a seat to give Shino's bugs some breathing room. Naruto was very much aware of the possible political ramifications of Shino's offer. Though he might not know the entire scope, for now it was enough.

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The empty bag sat close by Naruto, the contents spread about his knees. _'I am ready when you are, Kurama-sensei.'_ To the side sat other stacks awaiting their turn, gifts of both textbooks and ones in Sarutobi's own hand unpacked from boxes left in his living room.

**"Watch carefully and follow my lead. Turn each page when I do for maximum efficiency. Begin."**

Kurama and Naruto, in their respective spaces, both picked up the beginner text. A sparrow flitted down and rested on Kurama's shoulder as one of his claws flicked the blank book open. On the outside, Naruto did the same, the page before him showing the Table of Contents. As the sparrow watched, the same page faded into view in Kurama's copy until the entire page was visible.

**"Very good, Naruto. Continue watching and turn to a new page when I do. Keep your eyes on the page, but do not bother reading. Simply look. Once we have everything in memory, the workbooks and texts can be easily recreated in your mindscape."**

_'Hai, Kurama-sensei!'_

The sparrow watched intently as Kurama turned the page, showing blank paper. Naruto nodded and turned to the same page, his eyes going over first one page, and then the other. On the inside, from top to bottom, first one page and then the other came into being. Kurama turned the page, cutting his eyes to the bird on his shoulder.

_**'Who would have ever thought of it, the dispersal of one's soul and mind. He's more crafty than I first imagined.'**_ For months, it had puzzled Kurama on why parts of Naruto's mind were becoming increasingly inaccessible, even his soul. This sparrow was just one of the clues. Every mammal, insect, avian and fish, every single living thing was more than just a figment or mental exercise. They were part of the whole, the entirety of Naruto. It was one of the most effective defenses he had ever encountered.

To attack Naruto's mind or snoop through his memories, you would need to find the right swarm, school, pride. You would need to find the correct animal or insect, and only Naruto knew where everything was filed. Even if another learned what led to where, only Naruto could call the specific critter to him.

Kurama even had the strong impression that Naruto had become immune to the famed Yamanaka soul-transfer, as Kurama could sense Naruto's very vitality in every living thing in here. So unless a Yamanaka could swap out with Naruto's entire biomass, any hijack would fail. _**'It would make for an interesting experiment. I wonder what would happen should one attempt it and disperse in the atmosphere, a part of everything and nothing at once. It would definitely be a Zen moment.'**_ He chuckled darkly to himself.

**_'Perhaps we could incite that obnoxious 'Ino-chan' into making a mistake.'_** Kurama frowned to himself as he kept turning to a blank page as the ones prior filled. **_'Having his sentience so widespread though, it makes for that many more eyes on me, though I doubt that was his original intent. I will have to be careful and bide my time, of which I have plenty. There is something about those anger stones which I think I can use for a bit of leverage.'_**

He glanced further off to the side, where two stone slabs leaned drunkenly against one another, before turning his attention back to the task at hand. They had a lot of material to internalize, and the stones were silent. His seal was the opposite, stinging and crackling as thoughts and plans were made and hastily discarded.

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Throughout the night and into Saturday, the stack of books, pamphlets, workbooks and personal notes from Sarutobi increased around Kurama. The boy had learned this method well, and it worked much better than the prior memory dumps under Iruka's probationary tutelage. It was almost a signal that when Naruto closed the cover on the final workbook, one he normally wouldn't see until his third or fourth year, the sound of a shattered window reached their ears.

Naruto scrambled on the floor, gathering all his materials which he quickly sealed into the floor. Once done, his back was to the wall, cautiously peering out of his window to the filling quad below. It was difficult to gauge the size of the crowd in the increasing dusk and he knew it was foolishness to attempt to count them. As silently as he could, he slipped out the main door and slid up the wall to the roof.

It was clear, though he could sense rapid movement towards his location from the surrounding rooftops. Quick as a thought, he hugged the ground in a chakra-fueled run before making a vertical dash up the side of the water storage tank. Right before someone landed besides him, he smelled life and earth.

"Bear-san, a pleasure to meet you again, though it seems to be only with trouble."

"I have to agree, Naruto-kun. Gai is on his way and will assist in crowd dispersal."

"Um...any clue who they are, Bear-san? I mean, it's been well over a year since anything like this has happened."

The one known as Bear raked his left hand through his hair. That comment only served to increase Yamato's frown behind his mask. A year ago was when Hatake was still ANBU Captain, with Naruto's safety as his primary assignment. "I believe them to be your classmates' parents, Naruto-kun.


	13. Shifting Winds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous chapter: Naruto's introduction to the educational bureaucracy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

Sarutobi was not amused.

Today was a rather special day for him, one in which he could spend rare quality time with his extended family, including his quasi-estranged son Asuma. They were crafting paper crane chains, to be used adorning various shrines, enjoying one another's company as much as one could with all the tiptoeing around awkward or painful subjects. Then the Village came knocking on his door, and the 500-pound gorilla called Hokage had to make its presence known.

Surprisingly, Asuma had promptly requested to join his father, though not as a Konoha shinobi, but as a representative of the Daimyo's court. The request caused Sarutobi's mental smirk to quirk. Asuma was part of the Guardians of Fire, directly answerable to the Daimyo and the Elder Caretaker, the highest position within the Guardian's monastic order, who happened to be the Daimyo's elder brother. It also caused some pain, as Asuma would not be going as his son, but as an employee to another.

The trip to Ward 15 was short and uneventful, and only served to further sour the Hokage's mood upon seeing exactly whom had attended this...gathering. His quick and practiced eye did not spot any Major Clans and only one or two Minors. The rest were Families and Civilians, not to mention the ubiquitous gawkers who sought street-level entertainment.

The angry crowd grew silent as the Hokage landed before them. Many of the attendees suddenly wished to be elsewhere. With a single hand motion, the whole of the quad was bathed in soft light, one of the many seal-less techniques Sarutobi had perfected during the last war.

"Three seconds will be granted to anyone who is currently using a camera to put such away and destroy the film. Dingo, take two squads and arrest those whose time has now expired. Speaking of which, Eagle, fetch me whoever is in charge, and it had better be an Uchiha."

Among the sudden cries and squawks of indignation, he asked, his voice amplified by a subtle jutsu, "Why is it that you are trespassing on private property?"

His answer was in the form of shrugs and the shuffling of feet. In a very rare moment, Asuma witnessed his father lose his temper.

"Attention! Eyes front! Deka, arm span, move!"

The silent roof watchers, the present ANBU and all but fifteen true civilians suddenly found themselves arrayed in ranks, one arm-length from their neighbor, ten to a rank. Even Naruto had snapped to attention, precisely one arm-length from Gai and Bear. A very irate Commander-in-Chief stalked the formation before him.

"This is a Shinobi Village, and as such everyone is expected to not only obey the laws, but to uphold the laws. This includes keeping the peace and defending our village." He came to a stop before a highly confused and slightly frazzled civilian. "Everyone, in every instance. Even for those you don't like. You fifteen have just volunteered for Civil Defense. Hatake!"

The civilians jumped slightly as the masked shinobi blurred into being on a knee. "Hatake, I am granting you a chance at redemption. Take this rabble and give me a glowing report within a fortnight; do _not_ disappoint me, Chuunin. Those who do not wish to cooperate will visit with a Yamanaka tonight and will be escorted to the Capital to start over with a clean slate and a blank memory in the morning. Choose wisely. Hatake, move them out."

Stunned by the implications, the civilians silently bowed as one, filing behind Hatake as he led them on the first of many conditioning laps around the village walls.

"As for the rest of you, you will report no later than 09:00 to the Director of Parks and Recreation on the morrow. The lot of you are on detail for the next thirty days. If any fail to comply, they had better be rogue or dead, or all of you here now will be re-activated and will be given border postings. During whatever free time you may have during this period, feel free to discuss the ramifications of criminal trespass." He pointed at one of the retired shinobi. "Name!"

"Fujika, Hokage-sama!"

"Fujika-san, this quad is your assignment. This is my home. You will clean my house and yard, and I will be pleased. Is this not clear?! Now all of you, get out of my sight."

There was a mass bowing before the retired shinobis fled, minus one. That one was already at work on the high grass. Sarutobi knew that Jiraiya was busy elsewhere, hence why Naruto had been unable to secure a D-rank for months. This had further sharpened his tone.

"Eagle, report!"

The nin rushed back to Sarutobi, dragging a police officer behind him. "My apologies, Hokage-sama! Corporal First-Class Matake was explaining to me why there are no Uchiha here, and how he is the presiding commander."

"Well?"

"Begging your leave, Hokage-sama...I was simply told this morning that the Uchiha clan had a special family event scheduled for tonight. I'm the highest ranking non-Uchiha officer on the scene."

"You and your team did well, Corporal Matake. I will want your report in the morning. In the meantime, you will accompany Eagle back to your headquarters for a full audit. This latest incident should never have happened and it happens to fall under your jurisdiction. I expect full compliance. Don't worry, I'll deal with the Uchiha. Dismissed."

Sarutobi glanced up at the sky, still angered, then looked at a fresh ANBU squad. "You four, grab whoever you need and hit the other precincts. On my orders, there is to be a full audit. I'll have the paperwork ready for you within the hour if there's any complications. Don't worry about the Uchiha precinct. I'll deal with that one tomorrow. Dismissed."

He turned to Asuma, seeing his son grin around his lit cigarette. "Well Pops, I think the Daimyo would be interested in this little meeting. How much do you want him to know?" _This_ was the man who had raised him, whom he had so admired, not that weakened figure head.

Sarutobi sighed, casting a glance up at Naruto's distant location. "We'll discuss that over drinks. Gai."

The Green Beast of Konoha blurred into being before his Hokage, the long neglected grass whipped into a frenzy from the pure speed of his entrance.

"Impressive, Gai. Your speed could give Shunshin a run for its money."

"Thank you for the compliment, Asuma-san. Your will, Hokage-sama?"

"You and Bear are to escort Naruto to the Tower. Make sure he's provisioned for the next two days. I find it prudent to keep him and the yard details separate for now."

"It would be my pleasure, Hokage-sama."

"Dismissed. Come, Asuma. We have things to discuss."

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Naruto, after his debrief, would spend the rest of the weekend at the Mansion. Matron Ana, along with the rest of the staff, gave him a warm welcome, one which made him feel dizzy. They made clear to him that he would always have a room prepared, should he need it.

Ana had further cemented her importance as she had quickly shifted the boy into a side room where he could compose himself, as he was hugged tightly, fingers stroking his hair. Young arms at this level of acceptance had been equally tight, as he hiccuped into her chest. This she had considered her privilege as a proxy.

Given the events which first began to unfurl early Sunday morning, the staff took great pains to ensure Naruto's comfort, security and well-being. He was kept isolated from the general public, and given a solid alibi, once news of the Uchiha Massacre spread like yeast in dough.

Asuma made note of how small the boy appeared to be, as well as the lack of physical conditioning. He did give Naruto points for the absolute stillness he could achieve while meditating, as that was no small feat. He had read some of the reports, as well as hearing some...grimmer stories from his dad. By all accounts, despite everything, the kid seemed rather well adjusted, in that he had not yet leveled the village. The staff, naturally distrustful of outsiders, glowed whenever Naruto sent a shy smile their way.

He had no idea that the still boy was well into the second year curriculum, thanks to Time Dilation, sitting on the lake shore in his mind where Ocelot's statue tinkled in the waterfall's spray. Floating around him were supplementary texts for Kanji he had yet to learn, them being practiced and their readings reinforced with both pencil and brushed ink, as the textbook in hand turned to the next page on its own. Off to the side, on a low table, sealing primers were studied.

Behind, shodo was created, the large piece of paper wiping clean the kanji painted once the brush strokes were deemed acceptable. Such was kept to a rather high standard, as the scent of a learned dish wafted on a breeze.

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"We identified some seals, Hokage-sama!"

"Show me!"

To put it lightly, this had not been a good morning. Sarutobi's agenda had been to assign the Police audit, lock down the Uchiha main office, and have some family time. Instead, here he was in the Uchiha compound, surrounded by staffers in a makeshift office. Not fifteen feet away, body parts were being identified and cataloged.

"Here sir. Along the doorway we found several triggered seal arrays. We think they were used to disperse some sort of aerosol." They were standing in one of the Main Meeting Rooms. "With your permission, I'd like to send these along for processing, but I'll need to remove the entire doorframe."

"I'll sign off on it. So this is where it started?"

"We believe so, Hokage-sama. We'll have a better picture as more data arrives. As it stands, it would appear that Uchiha Itachi entered through this door, his chakra triggering the seals. It looks like it was a trap, and somebody, probably somebody close to him, had to have had a sample of his chakra to do that. That's merely conjecture at present though.

"The drug, most likely a strong hallucinogen, was dispersed and affected not just Itachi but anyone else in the room. After that is anyone's guess, Hokage-sama."

"I see. Fumiko!"

One of his staffers appeared by his side. "Your will, Hokage-sama?"

"Private ownership of chakra cubes is to be temporarily suspended until the close of this investigation. Head to their main offices and collect a listing. For the immediate future, those cubes are classified as active ANBU-only. Failure to comply will be a heavy fine and community service. Second offense is a month in ANBU holding. Third is banishment. You got all that?"

"Hai!"

"Dismissed. Anything else, Akaba-san?"

"Uchiha Sasuke was recovered as the sole survivor earlier this morning. He is still non-responsive, though the medics were able to find and reattach his tongue. We're still searching for Itachi's body."

"Carry on, and good work."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama!"

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"I think that would be a good idea as well. I'll get right on it, Pops."

The clone patted Asuma's shoulder with a smile before dispersing. It relayed the warmth and respect given by a once-estranged son.

Walking to where he knew Naruto would be, where he was often found meditating for hours, Asuma called out, "Hey, Naruto! Interested in learning something new?"

**"We will pick up on your studies in a bit, Naruto. The old monkey's son is calling for you."**

Naruto stood and bowed to Kurama-sensei, before opening his eyes to the outside world. "A..Asuma-san?"

Asuma noted the guarded stance, and slid into Non-Combative Support A15. "Ah, you're awake. Come, you've been sitting around enough. Meditation is all well and good, just not all the time. For balance, one should build their body as well. Come, the Old Man thinks you should learn something new."

Naruto stood slowly and stretched, before padding over to stand before Asuma. Asuma noted he was just out of immediate arm's length.

"To the Dojo. He thinks it's time you learn some fighting styles, in addition to some physical training." Through it all, the bear of a man kept an open and aloof posture, subtly making adjustments to keep Naruto as ease.

"Does this have to do with the Uchiha?"

"Oh, you heard about that, eh? You've got good ears. Yeah, in light of what's happened, he thinks there might be some blame heading your way, so with resources being shifted around he feels it would be prudent for you to learn some self defense." He reached out and lightly squeezed Naruto's arm. "A little physical training would be good too," he said with a grin, ignoring the flinch and flash of panic.

**"I agree, kitling. As you go through the forms on the outside, you can do the same on the inside, reinforcing the lesson. This will be to your advantage."**

_'Hai, Kurama-sensei, not to mention that Asuma is Jijii's only living child.'_ On the outside, he grinned up at Asuma, squinting to hide his expressive eyes, and said something worrying. "That sounds really good, Asuma-san. Reckon we can get Gai-sensei too?" This unknown person had touched him.

Asuma had a feeling that the staff was already making inquiries, and were slightly angry at his physical action. He was wondering just when the boy had wrapped the lot of them around his fingers. "If he's willing, possibly. Come, the Academy will be closed for a week, maybe two, so this would be a good time to start."

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Danzou's handwriting specialists, which were comprised of the best counterfeiters in the Land of Fire, supplied a name by the end of the week: Uchiha Shisui.

From what the various agencies could reconstruct, it was Shisui who crafted and placed those seals. Evidence was found which corroborated this claim, that of Shisui having a chakra sample of Itachi. The most favored theory was a power grab: with Uchiha Fugaku and his line dead, Shisui's sept would be in the best position to become the next Clan Head and Honored Family.

Once seated, they would have the final say on clan business, including the assets of Fugaku's deceased family. This would be in addition to royalties garnered from adding personal and claimed jutsu's to Konoha's Shinobi Library.

Shisui, though highly skilled, was weak on theory. During his seal construction, he ended up including too much reactant. When the seals discharged, a total of eleven males were affected by multiple, highly potent, hallucinogens, though Itachi was the only one to leave the room alive.

Based purely on probably timeline, circumstantial evidence, and protein decay, the prevailing thought was that Itachi then created several Kage Bunshins, which was a devastating force multiplier given Itachi's phenomenal skill set. The term 'rampage' did not even come close to describing the scene.

Draft animals and livestock were butchered and then dressed, the various cuts of meat stacked and arrayed in designs only visible from the sky. The Uchiha Academy, where those without the Sharingan were trained to enter the Village Police force as officers, was a charnel house, with only three children left in unblemished condition, posed so as to show shock and alarm at the rest of the abattoir.

In playgrounds and parks, body parts were picked out of trees, painting the limbs red and pink, as if for flower viewing. Bakers and cooks were shoved into ovens, sliced into sashimi platters and baked into pies. There was clear evidence of an intelligent and cruel mind, as the way in which each person and mammal was murdered was by their roll in society.

Itachi's younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, arrived late to the family compound after a day of throwing practice. He was the only known survivor, found in a quivering ball surrounded by his own bodily waste. Someone with a fully developed Sharingan had placed Sasuke in the hellish realm of Tsukuyomi, a nightmare illusion where any pain felt in the dream world became actual pain to the body and mind. During the mental ordeal, he had bitten through his tongue.

The only person not accounted for was Itachi. His body was not recovered and he had not been publicly seen since just prior to the Massacre. Although he was the most prominent suspect for the killings, the one truly responsible was Shisui, who had been positively identified.

Despite any mitigating factors, Itachi was absent without leave; his failure to report to duty after three days, in addition to being an accessory to genocide, led to his being labeled an S-Class Missing Nin.

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"What do you mean it's not there?!"

"Exactly what I meant, Koharu! The funds were never allocated!"

"How...how is that possible, Homura? I saw the paperwork. We were promised a portion of the Uchiha estate! Summon Saruka, I have questions for her!"

"Who?"

"Saruka, Homura. There's no reason to play dumb." At his confused expression, she continued, "She's one of your staffers."

"Koharu? I don't have a staffer by that name."

The Elder's eyes grew large. "If she's not one of yours, and not one of mine...who did she work for?"

"I...I do not know." He sighed and massaged his brow. "We've no choice but to scale back some projects. Funding the construction of Oto will be tabled for the foreseeable future, unless Fortune favors us. I'll need you to pull back your project in the Academy."

" _My_ project? Since when was _that_ burnout _my_ project?!" She paused with her hand raised, the thumb lightly touching her brow. "We need to calm down...we can work around this. Our first order will be tracking down Saruka, or whoever she was, as discreetly as possible. With all the chaos, it should have been a simple manner to secure the funding we needed, the funding that we were promised."

"Agreed. I'll go through the list and will see where something can't be trimmed or scaled back. As for Mizuki, make sure he understands that he is not to move against Uzumaki at this point. With the Konoha Police now under the jurisdiction of ANBU, we cannot afford another incident so close to the Massacre."

"I don't think he'll be too much of a problem. The rest of the instructors will ensure the Vessel stays weakened just enough." She paused for a moment, then continued, "No matter how this is spun, the...extermination of the Uchiha should not have happened. It was supposed to be a simple clan head replacement, not genocide!"

Homura glanced at the clock. "We'll discuss that later. Come, we have a Council meeting to chair. Before then, though, we need to set some of our people on the money trail. We were promised a portion of the Uchiha spoils, and rogue agent or not, we will have our due."

These two, the teammates to Sarutobi under Tobirama-sama as young children, then as cherished advisors as adults, Danzou was uncertain how their treason, their gross breach of trust, would affect his long time friend and rival. He knew Hiruzen to be strong; that said, these two traitors had been part of his world since he was five years of age, having outlived his own siblings and extended family, save but a few. Them living was seen as a necessary thing, despite his own feelings on the matter.

Danzou, in his own way, protected his best friend and stymied the mechanizations of the other Elders. He too had been caught unaware of the lenghts they would go for power, to subvert the one of which both were still jealous these many decades past. He had, however, been able to send in one of his own to quickly gain trust and redirect the funds to whom they properly belonged by inheritance. This was the least he could do to protect his home and friend.

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Anko would never admit this, not even under torture, but she really liked Gai both professionally and as an instructor. She had known of him prior to his becoming a Taijutsu Sensei, though the image was one of a very civil, polite and rules-based character, with a healthy does of ethics and morality. He was very straight-laced, even for ANBU; then he met Naruto personally.

Since that meeting, the man had been nearly insufferable, spouting off about youth, seasonal epithets and being far too passionate about every little thing for his own good, and everyone else's sanity. Nobody ever called him on his growing eccentricity as he was a former ANBU Squad Leader, served with high honors and distinction, and physically was a bear of a man. Had he not been so damnably weird and loud, Anko might have been interested in his flexibility and raw stamina in other applications.

She personally knew of both traits from another viewpoint, as the man had somehow come as close to mastering the Hebi or Snake style, created by her former sensei Orochimaru, without actually being that infamous Missing Nin. She knew for a fact that Gai did not learn it directly, and the single time she questioned him, the response was, "I recall seeing the Fallen One, dwelling in the darkest pit of absent Youth, when he was still pretending to be Loyal.

"It was then I saw the style, and after he had removed his un-Youthful person, I thought of what the style could be and spent a full year observing ground and tree snakes, water serpents, anemones and eels. I would like to think I did the Snake Style justice."

In truth, she had learned more of that bastard's personal taijutsu from Gai in the month following Naruto's Chakra Burst Fiasco than she had during the totality of her apprenticeship to the Snake Sannin. She never truly expected a man so large and extremely physically fit to be that limber. He knew his fighting styles, and was always on the hunt for more to learn and master, not to make himself powerful, but to save the knowledge for future practitioners. That alone placed him high in her books.

She observed him as he corrected Naruto's throwing stance as the boy tried to heft and 'subdue' a short wooden statue. The brat had stamina in spades, but was sorely lacking in physical strength. Gai was teaching him a defensive style of unarmed combat, utilizing soft deflection/redirection counters and blocks, in addition to throws and submission holds.

She noted that he seemed good with kids and that Naruto was intently focused on his instructor. She knew from speaking with him that he held Gai in very high regard, just like he did with herself and Ocelot.

She straightened, pushing herself off the wall where she had been taking a breather, as she saw Asuma approach with a grin. She knew that she would lose the spar, but not from political reasons. Asuma was just that good, both in his clan's Monkey Style and from the odd stuff he had picked up as a Guardian of Fire.

Like with Gai, she knew she could go all out, and would come out better for it despite the loss. She'd definitely be interested in Asuma were it not for the village politics; she understood her reputation, though undeserved, would settle like a stink on the family.

Speaking of which, she would have had to wonder what the old man was thinking when he invited her, of all people, to the Mansion every single day for sparring, a meal or two, and company. Normally, she wouldn't care about appearances and rather enjoyed her chats with Matron Ana, but the Sarutobi family had been very good to her, her and Naruto both, and she did not want them to suffer any sort of backlash due to her inclusion.

That being said, she wondered what game the Hokage was playing, or if he was playing at all. Off to the side, a respectful distance from Naruto, was the Aburame clan heir, Shino, invited by Naruto and agreed upon by Shino's clan during the Academy hiatus. He was slowly adapting himself to the Praying Mantis Style against a padded wooden training dummy under the watchful eye of Gai's Earth Clone.

With the Hokage's own living son in attendance with the Kitsune Jinchuuriki, the outcast apprentice of Sarutobi's once-favorite student, and the heir of a rather reclusive and powerful family, it could be nothing but political. Though the Aburame Clan didn't carry much political weight, nobody could compare when it came to economic clout. Due to her position as Ibiki's apprentice, she understood that even the powerful Yakuza families outside of Konoha paid great respect and homage to the Aburame Clan.

Taking another glance at Naruto, who had succeeded thrice with his current target and was given a larger wooden statue from a storage scroll, she understood it was up to her and a few willing others to safeguard the child against threats external, internal (meaning their own Village), and inside. She had no illusions about the power of the demon held at bay, and though she knew the Kyuubi was oathbound, she didn't trust the trickster demon to not find a way out of his current predicament.

Despite the lack of competitors in this area, Anko would still take it upon herself to show Naruto demonstratively what it meant to be wanted and loved, even if she herself was still learning what those terms actually meant.

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Begrudgingly, Kurama had to give Gai his due: the man was a good teacher and instinctively knew how to gain Naruto's trust. Once again, he had been the sole witness as Naruto's mindscape grew in both size and detail as his physical energies began to increase. Due to Kurama's tutelage and methods for data retention, Naruto's mental energies had been growing exponentially for well over a year, adding to his already immense genetic, personally increased, and tenet-given chakra reserves. Now, under Gai's instruction, Naruto's physical energy was slowly catching up to the mental and spiritual thirds, further increasing the storage capacity.

Casting an eye to the emerald plinth, Kurama could discern runic and stylistic etchings, and the calligraphic markings upon its surface, gradually becoming more detailed. Once again he had to muse whether or not Naruto would ever create something for him solely out of love, trust and devotion, not that it would change Kurama's long-term goals. With another visual shift, his gazed passed across the drunken and leaning granite slabs, the ones which would grind against one another when Naruto's patience would wear thin. Those were the keys to his eventually freedom, though now was not nearly the right time to attempt escape.

Naruto would need more physical conditioning so that his body, in addition to his mind, could bear the strain once Kurama took over...a twinge from his seal caused abandonment of that line of thought. With a grimace of pain, Kurama knew there would be a time for all things under the sun, and he had improved his patience.

He could wait, quite aside from the notion that any attempt at sedition would be swiftly detected and deflected by that green unitard monstrosity. Kurama would have to wait until a time when neither Gai nor Tenzou were present, as either had enough Natural energy, the latter from an experimental source, to negate any coup attempt in his currently weakened state. Once the opening appeared, hopefully he would have found a way out of his oath-bound promises. Even now, he was compelled to teach.

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It was with little actual fanfare that the Academy reopened its classrooms, though tension was still heavy in the air following the Uchiha Massacre. Students, clan and otherwise, were escorted to the grounds with extended family packs. Off to the side, befitting their social caste, were three generations of genetically pink-haired Harunos, greatly enjoying the status boost granted by several members of the Yamanaka clan who had shifted from their own strata to mingle with the Haruno Clan. They were there to safeguard Ino, the Yamanaka clan heiress, who was there for Sakura, not that such prevented the elder Harunos from attempted social maneuvers.

Other lower ranked Families and Civilians glowered with envy, as the Yamanaka Clan was high on the social ladder, famed for the Ino-Shika-Cho formation, their heavy contribution towards Village security, and their highly popular chain of floral shops. Some eyes passed over the Harunos with a calculating glint and possible suitors.

During the lull in demonic activities since the Sealing, the village had, for the most part, forgotten what it meant to go against a Demon Lord. Aside from their insignificant scapegoat, their minds had rationalized away the power, rage and pure malfeasance inherent to all demonic ilk. For the majority of the Village populace, their Container was weakened, ineffective, and powerless. They thought little of their words, forgetting such have power, and had been overheard by both Naruto and the sealed Kitsune while on their way to the Academy.

The muted talk among the parents of the varied students centered wholly upon the Massacre and surviving Uchiha heir. There was a noted current of hostility towards their resident demon, as word had been spread for the past fortnight regarding the taint It placed upon the souls of the Uchiha, leading to their madness and mass murder. Other topics revolved around the performance review of the fifteen drafted into the Civil Defense, where again blame went to and tied into the allegations surrounding the Massacre.

There was even some talk of the Kitsune Lord orchestrating events to draw the attention and resources of the Hokage and Village as a distraction, that the true purpose of genocide and spiritual damnation could be completed with impunity.

It was into this bourgeois milieu that a veritable phalanx of Aburame entered, their precise and measured gait parting the milling crowds, a scant ten seconds before the opening bell. Like clasped hands the ranked Aburame parted, permitting Aburame Shino and Uzumaki Naruto to step forward as they moved towards the unlocking Academy doors.

Sakura paused in speaking with her on-and-off again best friend and rival as she spotted the blond bane, as her mother and grandmother were wont to call him, narrowing her eyes dangerously from the allegations of wrongdoing and suffering inflicted upon her absent Sasuke-kun. Besides her, Ino glanced towards where Sakura was staring, once the girl's conversation suddenly ceased, and saw Naruto.

Before her hands could shift into a triangular seal, Sakura, being the more physical of the two, had knelt, grabbed a handful of playground stones, and hurled them towards the boy, negligent of the fact that the Aburame heir was matching Naruto's steps precisely two feet and eight inches to the left.

Thanks in large part to his cat-and-mouse sense training several months prior with Jiraiya, Naruto could feel the intent and incoming projectiles. He brusquely pushed Shino to the ground, as he spread himself wide, his back towards Sakura and Ino, to shield his only peerage friend from harm.  
Shino's brows were visible over his shades as he saw the rocks which missed Naruto's back pass by to bounce off the Academy wall with sharp pings.

Naruto staggered, to the secret delight of many, from the stones which hit his head; Sakura's quick and analytical mind found a weakness and a suitable weapon. Less than a second after the paving stone was hefted and hurled, Shino stood, spun around Naruto, and with an almost languid motion taught by Gai-sensei's Mantis Style, caught the larger rock in a single hand. For the many observers, the air grew suddenly heavy.

Scarcely five feet distant, the lead Aburame, Shibi's first cousin, stepped forward and intoned deeply, "Haruno-san, for your attack and deep disrespect unto the Aburame Clan by endangering our heir, you are hereby banned from our ice. Likewise, the Yamanaka who kept silent witness are also forfeit from our ice and organic cuttings. Remember this well: Uzumaki-san, for service and sacrifice to our family, is under our protection. This is stated by Aburame Shiaki, son of Shiaku, brother to Shiburu, father of Shibi, the Aburame Clan Head."

The crowd grew starkly silent as the implications became clear. Both Haruno and Yamanaka had earned degraded social stations due to the impromptu assault, while the village pariah had increased his own standing, from being protected by a Major Clan. The Yamanaka, being fair skinned, paled further from the pronouncement; the Elder council would not be pleased by this circumstance.

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Naruto would find his day hardly improving as he stood before his apartment door. Though the quad had been tended and the graffiti from the buildings partially removed, there was a sense of foreboding from his apartment. There was some scent he could not readily place.

His gorge rose as he unlocked and opened the orifice into a cesspit of charnel decay. Dogs, cats, birds, squirrels, foxes and fish had been killed and left in his apartment during the two weeks spent at the Sarutobi residence. On top of that, buckets of offal and blood had been doused upon all available surfaces, including the ceiling. The air was thick with the stink of rot and decay, the miasma loud with the buzzing of varied flies.

Luckily, Naruto withdrew before the rank smell caused him to contribute to the mess. With little recourse and great shame, knowing how he had imposed upon them, he swallowed his pride and opted to visit the Hokage for a solution to this matter.

It was a blessing that he had studied, copied and learned Ocelot's seals from before, as that was what kept his meager holdings safe from defilement. Since nobody had opted to damage his walls, ceiling or floor, his possessions were safe, stored in the scribed sealing arrays. Whoever tainted his abode, did so to a purposefully 'vacant' apartment. Regardless, he would no longer stay in that particular room number again; the scent was already deep within the cheap stucco and wallboard. The only question now was how to get the sealed items out safely.

He paused on the property boundary as a thought struck him: clones. He slowly walked back and gazed up at his despoiled apartment. 'It would have to be solid, so that rules out the standard Bunshin.' With that thought, he sank into a meditative stance beneath one of the quad's recently created trees, courtesy of Tenzou, and entered his Mindscape.

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"Kurama-sensei." The very air in here hummed and thrummed to his internal cadence. In a motion reminiscent of Kurama, Naruto placed his hands together before opening them as a book.

**"Naruto-kun. Out of curiosity, might I ask what you are doing?"** Increasingly, Kurama was finding it difficult to read Naruto's thoughts, and without those, motives became muddied.

"Searching for a memory, Kurama-sensei. I got the idea from you creating tangible copies of my textbooks inside, from pages I looked at outside." Between his open palms, wisps flickered like pages. The motion stopped and one of the pages left his hands, hovered in the air, and unfolded into a past scene.

This particular one was of Gai during the hiatus, right before he made an Earth Clone for Shino's instruction. Naruto watched the man's hands intently, mentally rewinding multiple times. He then recalled Sarutobi's own seals, once upon a Generator. Several more replays of each followed, with Naruto slowly improving his sealing speed.

He couldn't match Gai's thick but dextrous fingers, nor Sarutobi's long and nimble digits, but he doubted many could. Still, Naruto thought it sufficient. "I will need to head back outside to test this, since in here my will could influence the outcome."

**"If this experiment bears fruit, it could open up a new avenue of instruction."** After a brief moment of calculated deliberation, Kurama continued, **"I am proud of you, regardless of the outcome. Your adaptation of something seen only in passing is worthy of praise."**

Naruto blinked before sketching a blushing bow. "Thank you, Kurama-sensei. I have only come this far due to your instruction. If you will excuse me, I have a technique to attempt."

Once alone, Kurama frowned slightly. **'I thought praise was supposed to be the key. Could I have been mistaken or was it not...wait, what is...'** He expanded his own senses, and that's when he found them: hundreds of rabbits of differing sizes, density and musculature. Though rabbits had been part of Naruto's mindscape, they were never this numerous before. Despite himself, Kurama had to grin. It wasn't freedom, and they weren't really real, but it was the best he was going to get.

He lunged and gave chase through the underbrush.

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Naruto stood and stretched his limbs before running through the seals several times. Nodding to himself, he ran through them once more, focused his chakra and intent, and ground out "Tsuchi Bunshin no Jutsu." Though he understood from reading and observation that some people preferred to shout out techniques, though Maito Gai seemed to shout out everything, he knew he was alone here in a boxed in quad, and that his voice would echo. Given this morning and the very tense classroom atmosphere, the last thing he wanted was more drawn attention.

After several attempts with increasing chakra outputs, he finally got an arm to rise out of the ground briefly before sinking back. _'Maybe I'm overloading it...huh?'_ He stayed relaxed as he cast his eyes upwards and to the side at the figure standing on Four's roof. Without a sound, the person seemed to slip off the roof into a nosedive.

Less than five feet from the ground, the intruder tucked and flipped, deftly landing without a sound or even a trace of kicked up dust on bent knees. Though a good thirty feet distant, Naruto took several steps back as his personal space was filled in the span of one blink.

The ANBU's mask was filled with eyes of varying sizes on the top half, while the bottom had a split and jagged chin, reminiscent of mandibles. She turned her head by quarters, so that one half of her mask faced Naruto, before refocusing on him.

"Explain." Her tone, though not unfriendly, was cool, detached and aloof.

Naruto took in the mask and the body armor. Where most ANBU wore urban gray or olive drab armor, hers was matte black. He was fairly sure he had never seen her before, though that really wasn't saying much.

"K-kumo-san?"

Silence.

"Um...uh I was practicing the clone technique."

Silence.

Becoming increasingly nervous, though he couldn't sense any hostility, he continued, "Someone broke into my apartment and tossed in a bunch of dead animals. It smells really bad in there, and I need a way to get my things from inside."

"Would not the stink ruin them?" She could tell by his timbre that he was trying very hard to suppress his anger.

"Storage seals, Kumo-san."

Silently, and unknown to Naruto, she activated her Byakugan and sucked in a breath. The boy's chakra network glowed and pulsed in a very distracting fashion. She could see the Kyuubi's chakra as a small tendril, before it was sucked through multiple purification seals and fed back into the primary containment seal. If she hazarded a guess, less than a quarter went into Naruto's system, while the rest reinforced and powered the multiple seal arrays. Even then, his reserves were massive for one so young.

It was his coils which really shocked her. In the average citizen, one could easily fit ten to fifteen chakra coils inside of a capillary with room to spare. By comparison, Naruto's primary coils were almost the size of minor arteries, with the lesser pathways rivaling the capillary network. The whole system was augmented by rather bright tenketsu; she frowned in thought as the boy had more of those than what should be normal, almost like an auxiliary system. Despite her Hyuuga nature and breeding, she found herself intensely curious about this enigma.

As almost an afterthought, she shifted her attention to the buildings until she found the one he indicated. With a slight tightening of the eyes from strain, she could make out the dense clouds of insects hovering over and feasting upon the carcasses.

Not releasing her blood-limit, she focused back on Naruto while she touched her throat. "Spider to Base, false alarm. Chibi chakra exercises. Agreed. Have need of Aburame. Roger. Spider out." She released the call button and continued for his benefit, "Uzumaki, for the duration of my shift, I will be part of your security detail. So that we can avoid any other false alarms today, you will continue your exercises under my direct observation."

He nodded, still slightly unnerved by her stance, intonation and mask. She, of course, noticed this and applied a minuscule thread of chakra to her mask, which made the multiple spider eyes glisten as if alive. She had broken many arachnophobes with this little display, as well as having created new ones.

"What were you doing?" This one before her had avenged Ocelet-chan with ruthless efficiency. She had not disliked that, and had been waiting for an opening.

"Attempting to create an Earth Clone?" He shifted a foot restlessly, powered by nervous energy.

"Wrong."

"Wrong?"

"Your method...it is wrong. I have been directed, however, not to teach you anything. All ANBU are under such orders. Therefor, I cannot tell you what you have done wrong, as that would involve teaching, meaning that you learn from your mistakes due to the advice and insights of outsiders."

She turned slightly to the side and slowly began forming seals, ones which Naruto recognized and began to mimic. Thanks again to the hide-and-seek with Jiraiya, his charka awareness allowed him to almost sense her energy expenditure, which she had allowed for his benefit. Shrugging internally, and having very little to lose, he emulated his temporary guardian.

"If I were forming this construct, I would not use nearly that much chakra. Perhaps a bit less than that. Yes, that is what I would use." Her eyes where throbbing, but it was so worth it, given the chance to actually observe, up close, Konoha's Jinchuuriki going through chakra molding layers. For his Byakugan observer, this experience bordered on the sublime. He had also killed for one loved by many. "I also recall that I can chose which senses my Earth Clones would have. I could grant them heightened sight, acute hearing, or completely absent senses of smell."

His fingers stilled, and his stance changed slightly. She could sense that he was beginning to gather his chakra, making him little more than a very bright blur. "Kumo-san, what's your angle? You trying to fuck me up too?"

"Not in the least, Uzumaki. I have been assigned as your guardian, until the end of my shift. Since my charge was such a slothful one, I needed to fall back upon chakra exercises and methods to keep myself awake and aware."

He found himself on his knees, his arms crossed behind his back at the wrists, then levered upwards. "I am Spider, Uzumaki. Had I wanted to _fuck you up_ , you would never know until it was far too late. I will not have you denigrate my service to this village, is that understood? Verbalize."

"I understand!" He couldn't help the fear and panic which overtook his voice, nor could he control his limbs as they were suddenly freed. They struck the ground, struck himself, and he found he could scarcely shift away. All he could see was her mask filled with tiny eyes, and suddenly he could breathe again.

"Apology accepted. Now stand and continue your exercises, you slothful child. A good friend died protecting you, Uzumaki. Show me that Ocelot did not waste her time."

He gaped at his guardian. "You knew Ocelot-sensei?"

"I believe I told you to stand and continue your exercises, or are you going to disrespect me again?" Though she did desire to teach this child, she would not allow herself or her dead friend be disparaged. Ocelot had used a soft touch and it showed. The boy needed a firmer hand.

Naruto scrabbled upwards, gaining his feet. Turning away so that she couldn't see the fear and anger in his eyes, his fingers twisted through the seals. He had no idea that she could see his emotional state reflected through his internal cycling.

Despite that, she was caught flatfooted at his chakra flare. It wasn't the same as when he had been gathering it to escape her, but it was still enough to leave her temporarily blinded, with a very acute headache.

His chakra control being what it was, he slightly overloaded the technique with multiple consequences. The soil used in Earth Clones had to come from somewhere, and since Naruto had inadvertently grouped them all close together, the creation of the almost-thirty clones caused a small sinkhole to form. This sinkhole found one of Konoha's water tables and quickly filled with water. The rapid influx of water further eroded portions of the pit until Naruto had, on his property, a surprisingly deep twenty-foot wide pond.

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"I am in your debt, Aburame-san. If ever you have need of an extra hand in the Greenhouses or even in keeping the compound greenways cut just so, please let me know." Naruto, in a move reserved for special people, bowed low at the waist.

He was matched by the Aburame. "I will pass along your request to Shibi-sama. There is no debt, Uzumaki-san; rather the Clan is once again in your debt for your defense of Shino-kun."

"Did you...did you find everything you wanted?"

"Indeed, Uzumaki-san, and you have the Clan's thanks once again for this fortuitous find. This particular beetle," he held up an insect container, "is native to Konoha, but is only normally found where there are large quantities of dogs. We have been trying to find a live specimen for quite some time."

"Lots of dogs, huh?"

"So it would seem. I must take my leave, Uzumaki-san, and with your permission I will request a thorough insect scan courtesy of the Clan."

"Huh? That's...wow...um...how, how much will this cost me for the four buildings and grounds. I recall some prices from Shibi-sama's lectures."

"Nothing, Uzumaki-san. We never charge friends of the Clan."

Naruto was temporarily struck dumb. "For...for reals?"

Aburame Shiribi bowed just low enough for Naruto to see the slight grin normally hidden by the traditional high collar, and peered over his shades, revealing bright green eyes. "For reals, Uzumaki-san." He straightened and collected his insect carriers. "I will have Shino-kun deliver the appropriate timetable. Be well, Uzumaki-san, Kumo-san."

As the Aburame left the grounds, Naruto glanced at the lines of bags with a particular glint in his eye. _'Lots of dogs, eh? I know a place with lots of dogs.'_ With a silent command, the twenty-seven scent-deprived Earth Clones picked up bags and vanished from the property.

"Uzumaki?" There was a veiled warning in her tone.

"No worries, Kumo-san. I'm just having them dispose of the rubbish in a responsible, recyclable fashion." He gave her a megawatt grin in the failing light. "Believe it!" He hated her, but knew better than to show it.

He flexed his fingers before speeding through the seals once more. Obediently, an extra fifteen Narutos pulled themselves from the ground in a much wider pattern than the other time. "Alright guys, let's get me moved."

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Some thirty minutes later, the alarms went off at the Inuzuka compound. A solid two dozen cats and raccoons, bereft of all sensibility, leapt over the kennel fences.

Naruto, from his advanced reading, knew exactly what the Henge could do. Under normal circumstances, shape-shifting was not possible, only the illusion of change. One could not physically morph their body into another shape or species. That said, Naruto was not normal. Normal people did not have demonic Lords of Kitsunes sealed into them.

While the perimeter breach klaxons were wailing, Naruto's transformed Earth Clones dispelled before the first of the clan companions could rip them apart. Instead, the mastiffs, bred for war, ripped apart bags filled with putrid flesh, some of it being consumed in the melee.

Inuzuka Hana, the Clan's resident veterinarian, used every trick in her medical arsenal as she worked through the evening into morning, but some of the companions could not be saved. For the thirteen-year-old, this would create unforeseen complications.


	14. Consequence of Speech

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous chapter: Naruto meets the PTA and Clan Uchiha learns why drugging Itachi might not have been the best option. Upon returning home several weeks later, Naruto learns an ecological lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

Naruto was no stranger to being awoken in a rude or abrupt manner. Those times didn't always end in beatings though; sometimes it was just to mess with him, demonstrate what could be done to him at whim, and how little he could do in retaliation. However, this was the first time that he had been hoisted from his tousled bedding by something warm, damp, and sticky.

Those times had drastically decreased once Ocelot and Anko began their care for him, all but disappearing, even after her death. Inelegantly, he was flipped up into the air, whereupon he landed on his head. Completely taken by surprise, it was all he could do to splutter in impotent outrage at a smirking Jiraiya and a rather large...toad?

"My thanks, Gamashaku. I think the boy is awake now."

Nodding, the five-foot toad returned to the Summon Realm in a puff of hazy smoke.

"Get up, brat! You have a busy morning ahead of you."

Naruto glared up at the man before snarling, "Get the hell out!"

"Now now, Naruto-kun, that's no way to speak to your elders. Besides, Sarutobi-sensei was rather adamant that you not be late."

" _Late_?" Naruto untangled himself and stomped off to the bathroom, his voice carrying behind him. "I'm not late for anything. The Academy doesn't even open for several hours!"

"Sensei wanted to discuss your actions last night, Uzumaki. I suggest you get your ass ready."

"What actions? Yeah, there was some stupid stuff here, but I took care of it." The boy stomped back into his bedroom and made to pass the much larger male before his shoulder was snagged.

"Hold on a minute...are we on the same page?"

Naruto made to shrug the hand off, but found himself rather well rooted to the spot. For a moment, he considered being petulantly silent, before his mind deciphered the tone used: worry. "I don't know, and why do _you_ care?"

"Hmm...why weren't you in your other apartment? Is this just a sleeping room?" Jiraiya ignored the question, as he himself was having difficulty in answering it internally.

"If you must know, my other place was ruined, so I had to move last night into a new unit. They messed up nine units with that stunt."

Jiraiya released the shoulder, turning to follow the boy to the kitchen, through the other empty rooms. He had a feeling he was missing several vital facts. "Where's your stuff then? Don't tell me it got stolen or broken already..."

"No, nothing like that, luckily. It's sealed, and that's the only reason I still have anything."

" _Seals?_ " His voice grew suddenly serious, thoughts of the boy's tenant manipulating things. "Explain, and leave little out. You are in a world of shit, Uzumaki, whether you realize it or not. Speak plainly, and I...I'll be your advocate."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Last night, someone, or a group of someones, tossed a lot of rotted meat into the Inuzuka kennels after triggering the proximity alarms. Several of the Clan's Companions died from food poisoning. They are pointing at you as the killer. Add that to the rumors of your involvement with the Uchiha Massacre, and things look damn bleak. Now then, is there anything you want to tell me?"

Naruto had stopped cold, his eyes widening in a practiced expression. Even as isolated as he was, he too knew of the Companions and how important those dogs were to the Inuzukas. They hit him where he slept, so it was only fair to return the favor. "I didn't do anything to them...the seals, okay, look, Ocelot-sensei put my clothing into a storage seal, drawn on my bedroom closet. Anko-sensei made another one for my nonperishable foods. So I studied the seals, copied them, and used them to hide my furnishings. I even carry a spare futon on me at all times.

"Yesterday, after the Academy, I found that someone had broken into my place and had tossed in a bunch of dead animals. Hokage-sama had me stay at the Mansion during the Uchiha aftermath, so that was the first time I had been back in two weeks. You can imagine the stink. I...I couldn't go back to the Old Man...he had done so much for me, so I taught myself the Earth Clone Technique by reviewing a memory of Gai-sensei making one." Sarutobi's showing of seals was a very precious memory, not one to ever be shared with this person.

"Earth Clones? Taught by a single event memory? I find that a little far-fetched." Jiraiya, falling back on old instincts, used insults to hide his growing sense of worry and dread. _'They attacked my...my Godson where he slept.'_

Naruto stilled and turned to the much older man. "Fine, don't believe me." He chuckled briefly and bitterly. "Not that I expected as much from you. Please leave."

"No can do." He grinned at the growing irritability on the boy's face. "I still need to ensure you reach the chambers in time, and you'll need me to get inside. Besides, I'd still need some pictures of your old place."

He paused, thinking of how to spin this. "Look, I understand that we clash on a lot of things. I'll...I'll be your advocate, alright? I know the ropes, how to deal with the council and all that. New leaf and all, okay? How's that sound?"

Knowing the man could just do as he pleased, Naruto had little choice but to agree. Besides, even if an ass, the jackal did know his way around the council.

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Despite the atmosphere, Naruto couldn't help but lose himself in the decor. He had never been to this section of the Tower before, and had never seen furnishings so...organic.

"This village was created by the Senju," stated Jiraiya for the boy's benefit. "Tobirama was a master at Suiton techniques, and super-fed the seedlings and roots. Hashirama, the elder brother, was the carrier of the Senju bloodline, Mokuton, creating the trees and shaping them as Tobirama kept the wood supple and nourished. Hashirama being the First Hokage with Tobirama the Second, they were Sarutobi-sensei's mentors. Tobirama-sama was his actual Jounin sensei.

"Though many do not realize this, all the wood in this council room is living. Even the chairs are a part of flexible branches, which allow them to move and adjust to fit. You will not find this type of wood anywhere else in the world, no matter how long you look."

"I can see why it's on the ground-floor then," mused Naruto, his voice lost in wonder. Trailing his fingers over the wall's carved bas-relief, he could only grin as he felt the pulse of sap, the hum of Nature.

"What are you doing?" Jiraiya, being the Toad Hermit, was sensitive to Natural energy due to his Sage training. The moment Naruto touched the living wall, he could feel it sleeting off the boy, with apparently no ill effects.

"Huh?" Naruto snapped out of his reverie, pulling his hand back with a parting glance at the wall. It had felt nice and warm, welcoming.

"Did this Kurama teach you how to use Natural energy?" Jiraiya wasn't quite sure why he felt so angry. A part of him was jealous that he wasn't allowed to teach Minato's child about that source of power.

Naruto blinked at the tone. "What the hell do you care, _Godfather_?"

"Because usually, without extensive training, those who screw up when they access Natural energy turn into petrified wood. They become stone, inanimate, dead."

"I think you're just saying that because you hate me. 'Boohoo, I look too much like Daddy!'" the boy snarked. "As I told you before, I've always been able to feel it. My chakra, his, ours and outside; it's always been there."

"What? That's...that's impossible!" More to himself, he continued, "That side was supposed to have been sealed elsewhere."

One perk of housing a Kitsune Lord was heightened senses, and Naruto had no problem at all in hearing Jiraiya's mutterings. "Sealed elsewhere?"

Jiraiya snapped up, eyes wide at what he let slip. "It's nothing to concern yourself about...it's grownup business."

"The hell? It damn well does concern me! Was there some kind of mistake during my sealing? If anyone has a right to know, it's me! I mean, the seal failing due to a mistake during its creation is a rather big deal."

On the inside, Kurama was fully alert, panning through his own memories, trying to sort through the varied sensations during the sealing. There were so many, mostly emotional tones and colors...it was a jumble. Now that his thoughts were on it, he could feel a part of him was missing. The 'what' still eluded him.

Jiraiya knew the boy was right, though his feelings of fondness had long since disappeared. _'Why is he always such a brat? That said, if I could find the Toads, others could as well. I need to learn which side was sealed in the Key Toad's scroll.'_

Seeing and sensing that they were still alone in the council room, as they had wasted little time once they left Naruto's quad, Jiraiya felt it safe enough to conduct this research. "Prior to the sealing and after some rather hasty research, it was determined that the entirety of the Kyuubi no Kitsune was just too massive to contain in a single person. So the move was made to split the personality from the power, placing the power inside of you and the intelligent part in a massive and very secure scroll.

"Based upon our brief talks, and from what I understand of your personal history, a miscalculation _might_ have been made."

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Kurama was stunned, not just at the loss of power, but also at the ingenuity of the humans. He had always felt something was off, but with everything else going on had never fully had the time to puzzle it out. This buffoon had given enough pieces, and if things worked out the way Kurama wanted them, his power being locked away was a trifling matter, one easy to rectify.

But really, this level of craftiness was something else. Though being sealed was onerous at times, his being a passive observer to humanity had awakened his scientific curiosity once again. In the past, no matter how many brains he dissected, he never could find the origin of such things. Perhaps this was the fresh perspective he needed.

Of more pressing concern was the deep rumblings from the leaning stone pillars, as well as the flakes of dust forming on the right waterfall flank. Carved into the rock was a massive portrait of Minato, true to life from what Naruto had seen from pictures. On the left was Kushina, whose face Naruto had actually seen in person, preserved though she was in death.

Remembering the first time, Kurama readied himself for an upheaval, moving towards Ocelot's statue and island. He knew Naruto would never allow anything to damage that place, feeling his own jealousy spike at the reminder. He really hated this place which would _always_ keep him safe.

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Naruto had reeled back, finding himself pressed against the wall. The surface hummed and pulsed, welcoming him with warmth though he could scarcely feel it given how fast his mind was churning. _'They thought to split the body and mind. They wanted the mind in the scroll, but put the body there by mistake. This means they could have put both parts in scrolls._

_'I was used as a weapon.'_

"You fucker! All this...all this crap is...you could have put both parts in separate scrolls! The Fourth died in my sealing, so who died in the other?"

Jiraiya blinked, having never thought of that before. He couldn't fully rationalize away the knowledge. "Nobody."

"So...nobody died sealing away Kyuubi's bodily power when they thought they were sealing away his mental power. That means nobody would have had to forfeit their lives during the sealing, so why is the Fourth trapped in the Shinigami's belly?"

_'He refers to his dad by title?'_ "It was required for the exchange of souls. Minato gave his so the Kyuubi's soul would be tied to yours."

Naruto paled, feeling the wood twist behind him as it felt his agony.

"I need you to step away from the wall, Naruto. Your emotions are warping things."

"You _bastard_...you _knew_. All this time, you _knew_. You let him _die_. You let my _mother die_. **You fuck!** " The walls, floor and furnishings groaned and creaked. "You wanted a weapon for Konoha...the Elemental Guardians don't _have_ souls. They are deities, they just _are_. Souls are a _human_ construct, a name given to our consciousness. You thought you had sealed that inside a scroll, so you let your beloved pupil die for _nothing_!" The boy's strained voice ended in a raspy hiss.

"Im...impossible! There's no way we would have made that mistake!" Jiraiya's eyes took on a hard cast. "I see now that maybe the others were right about you after all. You have been corrupted. There's no way you can be my student's son."

Jiraiya had spoken in anger, anger at himself for the hubris, and anger at his Godson for discovering it. He didn't really mean the words, but they were said all the same. However, he had forgotten something fundamental.

Though he himself was an orphan, and went through his own patch of bad times, he had acquired more than enough positive memories to offset them, beginning at age five under Sarutobi-sensei. He had forgotten that for Naruto, who had only begun the task of speaking at age five, words had power, meaning and weight. For Naruto, you didn't say things which you didn't mean to say.

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Kurama was further surprised when Naruto appeared in his mindscape in a righteous fury, the ground becoming molten beneath his feet. Despite himself, his feet edged closer to the tinkling statue.

"Memory, mother, graveyard, toads...summoning web and the seals." The memories flickered as Naruto zeroed in on the one he sought, watching intently as his fingers sped through the chain. Anko and Ocelot's knot exercises made his fingers nimble, and the experience the night prior made the task much easier.

**"Kit, how is it you are here? Usually you must be in a meditative state, or at rest, before you can enter."**

"Attention split."

**"What are you planning?"** Kurama ignored the tone, since it wasn't directed at himself.

"Summoning." Naruto turned to face Kurama fully. "That ass won't believe me, and dares to heap insults upon me for his own ineptness. You're going to have a chat with him."

**"I don't think it works that way, Naruto-kun. Usually, one needs a summoning contract."**

"There already is one. Fa...Father summoned the Shinigami and used that contract to seal you. That means the contract is still active, since you are still here. My contract with you is written on my soul, and within the Oath Seal on your brow. If I call you, you will come, for I'll be _damned_ if I let that fucker come in here."

**"I'm a bit surprised that you refer to your father as such, all things considered."** The fox found the rage, it being right at the surface of things, and basked in it. When it wasn't directed at himself, it made the pulse quicken. He still recalled when Naruto tried to remove his skull from his body.

"It...I'm thinking now that it wasn't his fault. If he was a seal master, as Jiraiya had said, then he knew what could be done. _Someone_ must've convinced him to make me into a weapon, and the only one who could have that kind of pull would be his wife, Hokage, or teacher." Naruto turned away from the stone faces, giving Kurama his full attention once more. "You be good out there, Kurama-sensei, or this will be a one-time thing."

With that, Kurama was left alone in the forested realm. Glancing up at the waterfall, the cracks which had been moving across Minato's face were gone.

Despite himself, he felt a chill run across his spine. Though he may still be yoked, the outside was so very close.

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Irritably, Jiraiya snapped his fingers to get the boy's attention. He really didn't want to touch him, recalling the Dinner Incident. There was no telling in what position he might find himself. He sighed in relief as the boy's eyes flickered briefly, before he walked away from the wall towards the center of the council floor.

For a moment there, Jiraiya was almost prepared to summon a toad just to pull the brat away from the wall. He wasn't sure how they were going to fix the damage, as the carved murals of Konoha's founding were twisted and warped. It was essentially ruined, and he doubted that Tenzou would be able to fix it. The ANBU might have the Senju bloodline, but he didn't have the Senju chakra. Odds were high that the residual energy still present in the wood from the Senju brothers would reject it.

Of course, that gave rise to the question of why the living wood had welcomed and embraced Naruto, even responding to his emotions. That would require some pondering, and he heavily doubted the troublesome child would be forthcoming with answers. He ignored the voice in his head stating it was his own fault.

His eyes narrowed as he felt a Natural chakra surge, then widened as Naruto performed the Summoning Technique on what appeared to be solidified air. By the time his brain caught up with what his eyes were seeing, the kunai had already left his hand.

As the miniature Kyuubi landed on Naruto's head, having appeared out of the airborne seal array, a steaming shaft of wood rose shot up and trapped the kunai within the grains. There was a sound of tortured metal as the steel was twisted, leaving a foot-wide gap between it and Naruto's chest.

Jiraiya found himself in a odd position. Like being caught in a flash-flood, there was no time to escape, blinking as an upside-down Kyuubi glared at him, eye-to-eye as Naruto leaned against a rough wooden pillar, in which was trapped a broken kunai within a hardened knot. Such was the arboreal way of dealing with infections.

**"Quite a mess you've gotten yourself in, Godfather."** The fox grinned toothily. **"Naruto-sama has asked that I behave, and I assume that includes marking your face as my property."** Kurama glanced back at the boy, who nodded. **" _And_ permission has been _granted_. You're now my bitch, toad-boy."**

Jiraiya could only groan in harmony with the wood. He was on his back, four feet in the air, his taut limbs spread as a blunt pole pressed into the small of his back. His hands and feet were encased in wooden knots, his mane of hair sweeping across the floor. The pressure and pain prevented speech, so he had little recourse but to listen to the fox, shuddering at the power present in the creature's voice.

Kurama wasn't fool enough to actually touch a Sage, though his face was more than close enough for a leg hike. **"Let me tell you something, _worm_. Shortly after Naruto-sama and I met, he tried to separate my head and body. Do you know why he engaged in such an activity?"**

He squeezed some muscles, continuing the stream. It was his first real piss in almost a decade. **"It was all he knew, all he had been taught by example, by small-minded people such as yourself."** He chuckled darkly. **"Want to hear something ironic? Ah, you have no choice, do you. Anyways...were it not for me and my tutelage, this boy would be an amoral mass murderer by the time he hit thirteen.**

**"He would still be ignorant, of course. That does not mean stupid, just under-educated...but he would still be taught by the actions of the village, the village which hated him and killed animals he touched. His affection would turn into butchery, thanks to small-minded people such as yourself. Murder would be his expression of love. Anyone he liked, loved or wanted would have been killed by his hands and affection by this, your beloved student's first and only child."**

A few more muscles were squeezed, Kurama being very careful not to get any urine on Naruto's head, compared to the steaming mess which Jiraiya sported. **"I understand this may be hard for you to understand, much less show gratitude towards, but you're welcome, bitch. You are _my_ bitch."**

A silent Naruto let him do all this, before moving towards the exit. He trailed a finger across the murals, further damaging them, before pulling Kurama back inside. The last thing he needed was an ANBU freakout. "All my hate."

He left it at that, setting Kurama free to roam around now that they knew it was possible, and once it was safe to do so. The fox could not go far and was still greatly reduced in size; Naruto still held the leash. It wasn't completely _free_ freedom, but it was much better than being chained up in a cage. Before long, blood was fresh on his tongue as he gave chase through the underbrush. Signs for missing pets would be found a few days later, plastered against poles.

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"You have a way of finding yourself in interesting times, Jiraiya-kun. Care to explain why your charge is not present?" Sarutobi was resting an elbow upon a rough wooden pillar, in which was trapped one of Jiraiya's kunais. They both knew it was his, but only one knew why it was there.

Jiraiya could only grunt at the question. Due to the pressure on his back and limbs, not to mention the fox urine which had gone up his nose, any other verbal response was quite beyond his capability.

"Any luck, Bear?"

"None, Hokage-sama. The wood is proving to be highly resilient to any of my methods. My suggestion would be to have Uzumaki-san reverse his manipulations of the floor rather than attempting to cut Jiraiya-sama free. We don't know how the bough we are inside would react to being harmed in such a way."

"If I may, Hokage-sama, I believe Uzumaki-san will be found at the Academy, once it opens."

"What leads you to that thought, Spider?"

"He is on good relations with the Aburame Clan. The clan's heir is his age and, from my understanding, his only peerage friend. I think he will seek out this person for support as they share the same class at the Academy."

"Bear, head to the Academy and wait for Naruto. You have permission to pull him from class...tactfully. Spider, fill me in on what you did last night, as I haven't had the time to read your report in full."

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Iruka read the report again, sighing at the waste of talent. Sasuke would not be joining them again, at least for a while. The psychological trauma which placed him in a coma from Itachi's ministrations had turned a relatively happy child into a brooding recluse who had trouble speaking.

The nerve endings which ran through his tongue were still regrowing, a painful process in a sensitive area, leading to his monosyllabic grunts by which he answered all queries. Grunts and glares, the rage ill hidden in his haunted eyes, were his methods of communicating. It could be months before he could speak once again.

_'There go my dream of training the Best of the Best for the Top Rookie slot. In his current state, he's just too dangerous to allow around the other children.'_ Clearing his throat, he addressed the class.

"Due to injuries sustained from the Massacre, Uchiha Sasuke will not be joining us for the foreseeable future. He is undergoing treatment and therapy for his familial loss, as well as physical trauma. His physicians have denied all visitation rights, though gifts will still be accepted and delivered."

Several heads turned upwards, the glares focused on a silent Naruto.

"Eyes front! Let this be clear: Uzumaki had nothing to do with this, so get that through your heads. And Uzumaki, passing notes is not allowed."

"I am the one passing notes, Iruka-sensei," intoned Shino solemnly. "I was instructed to present Uzumaki-san with a schedule for one of our services. This is a clan affair."

Iruka cleared his throat again, this time partially due to nervousness. "Next time, ask if such missives may be delivered during breaks. If there is nothing else, open your history texts to Chapter Four." There was a gentle rapping at the door. "Haruno-chan, begin."

Opening the door, Iruka was surprised to see an ANBU on the other side. Nobody saw Ino, once more sitting next to Chouji, form her hands into a triangle shape as she rested her head on the desk.

"Umino-san, I am Bear. I have been tasked with escorting Uzumaki-san to the Council."

"He's not in any sort of trouble, is he?"

She had only learned this technique recently, fueled by the rumors of this boy's alleged involvement in the Massacre. He was fully within her sights, his own attention fixed on Iruka and the ANBU. Everyone else was facing the front as well, all but Ino, turned to the side.

Ever since that boy had joined her class, he had been nothing but trouble. It was his fault that she was shamed, his fault for all of it. She had gotten such a tongue lashing from her father for losing the Aburame contract, that on top of losing her best friend and their mutual crush. He, above all others, deserved to be punished. She would make ensure that he would never step foot in this building again.

"Not that I am aware. His testimony is needed though." To the side, Bear's fingers flickered, with only Iruka and Naruto understanding what was said: _'You care he has trouble?'_

Instead of answering, Iruka turned back to the class, earning an unseen frown from Tenzou and a rather visible one from Naruto. Sakura's recitation had faded once all attention shifted to the door. "Uzumaki-kun, the Council needs you for testimony. You are free for the rest of the day, but be sure to read Chapters 4 and 5, as there will be a quiz tomorrow."

Gathering his things, Naruto thanked Shino silently, before he paused briefly. It had felt as if something wispy had brushed his nose. Shrugging it off, he moved carefully down the aisle, keeping a firm eye on Kiba. The boy was radiating hostility. Knowing this was Tenzou, Naruto opted to show proper respect by bowing to his teacher, before he exited the classroom.

"Bear-san?"

"Indeed, Naruto-kun. Hokage-sama is waiting for you."

"Sorry about the mess. That jerk Jiraiya kept pissing me off, and I didn't see it as right that I had to wait for everyone to show up while he mocked me."

"Ah, so that's how he ended up as he did. It was a temper fit?"

"Not exactly, Bear-san. I'm sure you saw that pillar?" He got a nod. "One of Jiraiya's kunai is trapped in it. I trussed him after he attacked me."

"Why would Jiraiya-sama attack you?"

"As I said, he's a jerk." An unmarked parcel, though not unscented, was left on his doorstep again. A dog-shaped Earth clone had returned it to the nearest postal office, unopened.

"We all have our bad moments..."

"Bear-san, you don't have to defend him to me. He's already insinuated before that it would have been better had I died during the sealing. How am I supposed to respond to that?" Naruto raked a hand through his hair. "I can understand if he's mourning every time he sees me, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. If he's going to abuse me as a way of dealing with his personal pain, then he's no better than the average citizen.

"Besides, it's been almost a decade. He should just suck it up and move forward, instead of living in the past. Hokage-sama wants me to let the past be the past, let all this hate sleet off my back like a duck, but what about the haters? Why aren't _they_ asked to change too? Add to that the bullying of supposed family. Why is it _I_ have to be the adult here?"

Naruto, conditioned as he was by the Village at large, simply could not accept gifts from one so disliked.

Whereas Tenzou, no stranger to being ostracized, could find no defense for the Sannin, and even less for the village he had sworn to protect.

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Sarutobi was quietly thinking as he watched the assembled council discuss current events, as well as the contorted figure of the Toad Sage and who could have gotten the drop on one of Konoha's legendary shinobi.

There was sudden silence, before the murmurs restarted, a touch ruder and more terse than before. "Naruto-kun, I'm glad you could make it."

"Hokage-sama, you had need of me?"

"Indeed. First off, what can you tell me about this odd statue?"

"He freaked out when I summoned Kurama," Naruto whispered, adding hastily, "I needed him to say some things to Jiraiya, and I wasn't about to invite the man into my mind." Naruto didn't think it prudent to mention that Kurama might be running around the village eating cats and pet rabbits.

Sarutobi calmed himself, motioning the boy to continue.

"Well, he attacked me for whatever reason, and I didn't feel I had to put up with that, so I made it so he couldn't attack me again."

"That would explain why his kunai is lodged in that column. Would you be so kind as to release him? As he is now, he is rather distracting."

The council room grew quiet once more, save for the creaks and groans from as the timber released Jiraiya. Glancing from under his bangs, Naruto saw most of the faces oriented to the side, where Bear stood with his hands in the Half Ram seal. The boy grinned gently, tapped fingers on his thigh saying 'Thank You.' He got a slight nod in return.

"Hokage-sama...um, can I ask a question before you begin?"

"Of course, Naruto-kun."

Pitching his voice just for Sarutobi, he asked, "Did you know about the scroll which holds half of Kurama?"

Sarutobi blinked. "What on earth are you talking about, Naruto-kun? I am not aware of anything like that."

"Ah...it is something Jiraiya mentioned."

Sarutobi glanced over at the man, who was busy rubbing life back into his limbs. "It would appear something very important has been kept from me. Which part was supposed to have been contained?"

"Yin, Hokage-sama."

"This is not the case, is it." He pinched the bridge of his nose as Naruto slowly shook his head. "Wonderful. There's many things on my mind, Naruto-kun, so would you be so kind as to tell me the relevance?"

"Well, Hokage-sama...nobody died sealing the yang part into a scroll when they thought they had the yin part. That means both parts could have been sealed into scrolls. My parents, my childhood, they were pointless sacrifices. Somebody _really_ messed up, and it's very hard not to get angry about it all." said Naruto softly.

"We will discuss this further at a later time, Naruto-kun. If what you say is true, the implications...I don't even want to think about the possible implications. Take your seat," Sarutobi motioned to one between Bear and Spider, "and let's get this business settled."

He glanced at Ibiki and nodded.

"Rise!" Everyone stood from their seats, orienting on the Hokage.

"Greet!"

"Good morning, Hokage-sama!"

"Sit!" He waited patiently while the living seats were reclaimed. "This Council Session for Grievances is now open, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure, presiding." Ibiki bowed to his Hokage, then took a seat immediately behind and to the right of Sarutobi.

That man regarded his notes, seeing a trend. "Before we begin, I would like a show of hands. How many are here with complaints regarding insect or vermin infestations?" Every hand except for the Inuzuka, Yamanaka and Aburame representatives went up. "I see. For the sake of brevity, discuss amongst yourselves, quietly, and select a single advocate.

"Let us be clear: this is not a status move. It would be in your best interests not to have political gain on the mind, for while you lot dither in here, your problems outside continue." He checked his notes again. "Inuzuka and Yamanaka are here for complaints?" He got two nods. "And Aburame?"

"Witness."

"Hokage-sama, begging your pardon, but why is _that_ thing here?"

Sarutobi could already feel the headache brewing. "What thing do you mean, Dosuki-san?"

" _Him_ , that boy! He has no reason to be here unless he's the reason behind our misery!"

"Dosuki-san is right, Hokage-sama," began a man to Dosuki's left. "It must be that dem..."

"Careful what you say, Gosu-san."

"Of co..course, Hokage-sama. What I meant to say is that it's rather common knowledge that...this boy knows about his...burden..."

"Are you implying that you pick and choose which of my laws you follow?" There was a sudden heaviness to the air. "That's mildly seditious, Gosu-san."

"I...I with...withdraw the question, Hokage-sama!"

"To prevent further like-minded questions, Uzumaki-san is here as a witness and defendant. As a civilian, he has the right to face his accusers. Any other questions?" He cast a glance to the side, seeing Naruto staring at the floor between his swishing legs. Sarutobi noted the frown and clenched fists. _'They've gotten to him...how could I have missed this?'_

There was a mass shaking of heads as some people moved further away from Dosuki and Gosu. It would not do to be an innocent bystander should those two idiots gain the Hokage's attention again.

"Let us continue then. The Chair recognizes the Inuzuka representative. You have the floor."

Tsume stood, regal, wrapped in righteous anger. "Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama. This morning, several of our Companions died following an incident last night. _Someone_ tripped our alarms, which gained the attention of our Companions. Rotten meat was then tossed into the kennels, disguised as something our dogs were trained to attack. It is unclear what that something was at this point.

"Our Companions are more than pets or nin-dogs, they are part and parcel of our family and clan. We place our complete trust in them, as they do in us. They are extensions of ourselves, through which we can better serve and protect our beloved village. Someone saw fit to cripple that care.

"We hold Uzumaki responsible, as his scent, weak though it might have been, was present on several of the recovered bags of fouled meat. We, Clan Inuzuka, demand satisfaction! Life for life, through death or servitude, as well as restitution! We will settle for no less!"

Holding herself as the strong clan leader mourning subordinates, she took her seat amid the echoes of applause. There were murmurs of slurs directed at the child, though softly so as not to catch the Hokage's attention. Sarutobi had no problem in hearing them, but chose to ignore it for the sake of moving things along.

Naruto was not of the same mind, mumbling something which made the ANBU on either side of him twitch. There were several in the room with better than average hearing, including Tsume, who stormed to her feet.

"I _dare_ you to say that again, whelp! _Nobody_ insults my clan!"

Naruto glanced at the Hokage, who was rubbing his temples. He took that as assent. For a full year, he had been aware of everything. The glares, the remarks, the isolation even in crowds, he saw it all, and witnessed how it got passed down to his peers. He had no outlet, and he had had enough.

He stood, arms and legs akimbo, glaring up at the feral woman. "I said, why is it that I get called demon-this and demon-that when your entire family looks more demony than I do? All I have is lines on my cheeks. You, however, got slit eyes, pointy teeth, fingernails which look like claws, and facial markings...everyone in your clan has the same marking, even the babies! They grow with the person, so they can't be tattoos. So how come you lot get respected for looking demonic, and I get shat on for having lines on my cheeks?"

She barely heard the muffled snickers, so great was her rage. "You...you _whore-ling_...you will regret your first warbled breath, I promise you that!" She paused, confused, before her brow creased. "Shikaku, it would be wise of you to release me."

"Troublesome woman, are you _actually_ thinking of attacking the boy, who is by the Hokage with an ANBU escort, or are you even thinking at all? You should be thanking me."

"Naruto, I think that's enough," warned the Hokage.

"It's not right, Hokage-sama. I'm going on eight with lines on my cheeks and they say such mean things to me, but lavish praise on them just because her grandma did the naughty doggy with an Inugami!" He'd be sure to let Kurama view this memory, positive that the Kitsune Lord would find it amusing.

Words failed her as the rough guffaws sounded around her. Never before had she been so insulted. To her side, Shikaku began to sweat from exertion as he strove to maintain control of her shadow.

"Uzumaki, that is enough. How do you answer to these charges?"

Naruto looked over at Jiraiya, who was chuckling while he wrote in a notebook. "I thought I had an Advocate, but I guess not. _Godfather_ is good at breaking promises."

Jiraiya paused in his writing, before the pen resumed.

"Not guilty. Not once did Inuzuka-san mention myself nor anyone looking like myself doing what she claimed. Their Companions aren't idiots, and can tell the difference between a person and non-person. Furthermore, I allege that she and her clan ruined nine of my units."

"That is a serious claim as well. Inuzuka-san says your scent, though faint, was on the bags. What proof do you offer?"

" _Proof?_ What proof do they offer? You may as well ask for proof on how a just born baby was able to kill over seven thousand people in the span of a few seconds without anyone noticing."

"If I may, Hokage-sama." Aburame Shibi stood, adjusting his shades, drawing attention away from Naruto's Kyuubi reference. "Though circumstantial, a rather rare beetle was recovered from Uzumaki's apartment. Though native to Konoha, it is only found in areas with high animal populations, kennels being the predominant location."

All eyes turned to Tsume, whose clan ran the largest dog kennel in all of Fire Country.

"Do you have this beetle with you, Aburame-san?" asked Sarutobi.

"No, Hokage-sama. This is the first live specimen our clan has acquired in decades. As it came into our possession only last night, we are still examining it for possible inclusion in the Hive."

"That will be taken into consideration. Any other evidence, Uzumaki-san?"

"I had an ANBU detail with me...and can I say something really quick?"

"I'm sorry, Uzumaki-san. ANBU reports are confidential and may not be used in civilian proceedings. Is there nothing else you can show us? And yes you may, but please be brief."

Naruto stood, then bowed to Shibi, shocking all but a few. "Thank you for the schedule, Shibi-sama."

"You are most welcome, Naruto-san. Thank you for keeping Konoha safe. How is my son?" If Shibi had not done so before, now all attention was on him. His spoken and unspoken words worried more than a few.

"I am still learning of him, to be honest. He is a good student though, very diligent, and doesn't hesitate when called to perform any task, no matter how menial. Oh, and he doesn't try to steal panties, either."

There was a collected gasp from parents of girls. "There is one who engages in such activity, Naruto-san?"

"Uh, not sure I'm at liberty to discuss it, Shibi-sama. You'd have to ask Inuzuka-sama for details, I'm afraid. It's her son, after all."

"Naruto, if you are quite done, I recall you had testimony to give, yes?" Sarutobi was massaging his brow, feeling the increased tension in the room thanks to the past few minutes.

Naruto got the hint. "I...I can use a memory, right?"

"The only problem, Hokage-sama, is that only Naruto can see it," stated Inoichi. He was going to have firm words with Tsume when they were through here.

"You could as well, Yamanaka-san."

"Um...I don't think that would be a good idea, Hokage-sama," began Naruto. "As Gosu-san stated, I am aware of my Tenant, and he is rather eager for a Yamanaka to attempt entry into my mindspace. That's why I would warn against it."

"Be that as it may be, without further proof, I will have to side with the Inuzuka."

"A moment, Hokage-sama. Please allow me to try something." With a nod of assent, Naruto stilled himself, tamping down his anger and frustration, letting himself be lulled by the waterfall and tinkling chimes.

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_'Jijii is right about the ANBU, so I will have to be careful not to implicate Kumo-san in any wrongdoing.'_

The memory itself was rather easy to find, being from the prior night, not to mention the ghastliness of the situation, so all he had to do was pick it up right where he made the first batch of clones. That way, Kumo-san's instructions wouldn't be included. He would also have to edit some of his own thoughts, but that was easy enough.

Kurama watched intently, his prison and student continually surprising him. **"What do you plan to do with that, now that you found it?"**

"Kurama-sensei, you're back! How was your time outside?"

The fox stilled, still feeling the cascade of scents, sounds and colors of the outside world, the taste of fresh blood and meat still on his tongue. **_'This boy, his trust, he didn't have to...'_ "You didn't have to do that, you know. But...thank you. The sun and wind, it was good to feel them again."**

"You're welcome, Sensei. As for this, I'll take it with me, though I think I'll have to stay in here to keep the memory focused. I don't think them hearing your voice would be a good thing, not quite yet."

Kurama stayed silent, deep in his own thoughts. **_'The external manipulations of his will and mind, the vastness of his mindscape...was there something I missed? The solidified air to keep me from contact with that sentient wood was a good idea, but how did he do it? The data-dump...there had to have been something in there to awaken all this, or maybe it's the Nature component. I will need time to think this through.'_**

As the boy stilled, the patchwork of memories swirling around his head and hands, Kurama's thoughts resumed. _**'It was good to be outside. He didn't have to, but he did.'**_

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There had been a growing buzz amongst the representatives. Between the allegations, aspersions, and the single stern look from Sarutobi which had stilled Tsume, there was much food for gossip and discussion. One not saying anything was Nara Shikaku, as he was in a pseudo-meditative stance to replenish his reserves through deep breaths as his mind worked over what he had seen, or had thought he had seen.

His half-lidded eyes rested on the kunai-clutching column of twisted wood, which had not been removed when the Toad Sage's shackles were retracted. They flicked over to the slumped over boy, so still as to cause wonder if breath was still being drawn. He had seen...something, a hand flicker towards the one known as Bear earlier, before these proceedings officially began.

Any other thoughts he might have had were derailed when the boy began speaking through a flickering image above the child's head.

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The left hand rose, going past the edge of sight, as a large group of Uzumakis moved away from a rather large hole. "Sorry about that, Kumo-san. Guess I shouldn't have made them all in one spot, eh?" There was a nervous chuckle.

The scene panned to the left, showing Spider massaging points on either side of her mask. "You have a latent talent for headaches, Uzumaki-san. Still, that is an impressive effort. Perhaps you should greet your guest now."

The scene blurred, reorienting on a tall, dark-clad figure. The view tilted downward, showing the ground. "Thank you for coming so quickly, Aburame-san."

"Thank you as well for your defense of Shino-kun. Not many would shield another with their own body at your age. I am Shibiri, Uzumaki-san."

"Well...he's my friend, Aburame-san...it's what friends do, right? Um...it's all right for him to be my friend, right?"

"I'm sure Shino-kun will be pleased to hear of it. Now then, what is your problem, Uzumaki-san?"

The view swung upwards, narrowing around the edges before filling out again. "Um, there's a mess in my apartment. Somebody thought it'd be funny to dump a bunch of dead animals in there, and I was kind of hoping you could talk to the ants and flies and whatnot, see if they could go somewhere else so my workers could bag all that stuff up."

"For all you have done for our Clan, I would be honored. Show me, if you would, Uzumaki-san."

The view nodded and turned, bobbing as it walked up stairs before stopping at a door. "It's not pretty in there, Aburame-san. Those things have been in there for a week or two, since the Massacre most likely. And, uh...from what I could briefly sense, for the first time, in like ever, my thermostat was working. It's pretty warm inside."

"I thank you for the warning, Uzumaki-san. I am prepared."

The view bobbed, then oriented on the door. A deep breath was heard and the door swung open, revealing, in vivid primal colors, the abattoir. Blood was sloshed high upon the walls and across the ceiling, but what drew the eye was the mass of pink and red, mixed with black, of the multitude of skinned animals. Amid the mammals were hints of fish and fowl, the totality several feet thick.

There was a gasp from behind. "Merciful Kami...who could have done this? There must be hundreds of dead animals in here!"

The scene shifted backwards, where a breath was exhaled. "I...I don't know, Aburame-san. This is was my first time back in two weeks, so...I just don't know."

"Give me a moment, Uzumaki-san. I was a bit shocked there. Go and ready your workers and I will talk to the colonies."

The vision blurred to look at the ground, before righting itself. "Thank you again, Aburame-san." It moved past the man, as dark swarms flowed from his coat sleeves, and down the stairs. "Oh...what are these?"

"A box of bags, Uzumaki-san. If everything you own is inside that place, then you do not have bags at hand." It was a close thing, but she had managed to leave a clone, blip away to buy what was needed, then substitute with the clone while the boy had been distracted, and then act as if she had been prepared for this very thing all along.

"I...thank you, Kumo-san." Inwardly, he was amazed at her foresight, and bowed low in respect.

"This is done not just for you, Uzumaki-san. Hokage-sama will need to know, as close as possible, the loss of animal life, and how that might have affected the local ecology."

"Pardon?"

"From what I could tell, Uzumaki-san, most of the animals killed were predators, but low on the food chain. They fed on rodents and insects, predominantly. We will need an estimate of the environmental impact. Some insects can go from larva to adult in days, and without a predator to keep the population in check, without predators to control the rodent populations...it could be disastrous."

"I don't understand."

Spider paused. "I tell you this not as instruction, let us be clear on that." The vision nodded. "As an informed _citizen_ , however, this is something of which you should be aware.

"The interaction between Nature and Man is a balancing act. If we catch too many fish or birds, it upsets the insect balance. If we trap too many animals, it upsets the rodent balance. Like removing spokes from a wheel, while the wheel will still roll, it will wobble, upsetting things and making for a rough ride.

"Without checks on those populations, they grow quickly and have a hearty appetite. They do more than just eat though, they despoil, rats in particular. They don't have a poor reputation for no reason. They use excrement as their scent marker, tracks and trails made of crap across any and all surfaces, even piles of feedstock."

"But...what would the animals that need that feedstock eat?"

"That is a good question, Uzumaki-san."

"How...how do you know all this?"

The many 'eyes' which filled her mask seemed to twinkle. "ANBU. We know these things."

_'Amazing...no wonder Ocelot-sensei was so smart!'_ A pang shot through some of the observers, recalling their own loss that day. Not all were about Ocelot.

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The image sped forward in a blur. It was predominantly red and black.

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_'Twenty-seven rubbish bags. I can't believe they would do this.'_ "Good work guys. I'm proud of you." The ranks of bloody clones stood at attention, obviously pleased with the praise despite their appearance. The vision turned towards Shibiri.

"I am in your debt, Aburame-san. If ever you have need of an extra hand in the Greenhouses or even in keeping the compound greenways cut just so, please let me know." The scene shifted towards the ground once more, held for several breaths.

"I will pass along your request to Shibi-sama. There is no debt, Uzumaki-san; rather the Clan is once again in your debt for your defense of Shino-kun."

"Did you...did you find everything you wanted?"

"Indeed, Uzumaki-san, and you have the Clan's thanks once again for this fortuitous find. This particular beetle," he held up an insect container, "is native to Konoha, but is only normally found where there are large quantities of dogs. We have been trying to find a live specimen for quite some time."

"Lots of dogs, huh?"

"So it would seem. I must take my leave, Uzumaki-san, and with your permission I will request a thorough insect scan courtesy of the Clan."

"Huh? That's...wow...um...how, how much will this cost me for the four buildings and grounds. I recall some prices from Shibi-sama's lectures."

"Nothing, Uzumaki-san. We never charge friends of the Clan."

The voice became shaky. "For...for reals?"

Aburame Shiribi bowed just low enough for the slight grin, normally hidden by the traditional high collar, to be seen, and peered over his shades, revealing bright green eyes. "For reals, Uzumaki-san." He straightened and collected his insect carriers. "I will have Shino-kun deliver the appropriate timetable. Be well, Uzumaki-san, Kumo-san."

As the Aburame left the grounds, the vision shifted to the lines of large bags. _'Lots of dogs, eh? I know a place with lots of dogs. Now to take this stuff to the dump.'_ Silently, the twenty-seven earth clones picked up bags and vanished from the property.

"Uzumaki?" There was a veiled warning in her tone.

"No worries, Kumo-san. I'm just having them dispose of the rubbish in a responsible, recyclable fashion." The right hand rose up, showing a closed fist with an extended thumb. "Believe it!"

_'I know it was those bastards, and I know just the thing.'_ Inside and unseen, Naruto's brow creased as he edited the memory. The important thing was to make it believable, enough so that his own mind would believe it possible, if not true.

_'I'll need twenty pounds of flour...maybe I can get the Pervert to buy it for me. Yeah, right, I'd have better luck getting it myself. Godfather my ass. His definition must be vastly different from all the ones I've read. Maybe he got it confused with Deadbeat._

_'Ooooo...Anko-nee, I'm sure she could help, and those earth clones. Uh-huh...so, flour, food color...with clones I won't need the block and tackle but will need the balloons along with several gallons of cooking oil. Heh, I wonder how messed up in the head that panty-peeking Kiba kid will be when all the dogs there turn orange!'_

The fingers flexed before speeding through the seals. Obediently, an extra fifteen Narutos pulled themselves from the ground in a much wider pattern than the one which caused the hole, which was currently a nicely sized pond.

"Alright guys, let's get me moved."

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The vision flickered and ended. There was absolutely no need for the viewers to learn that his belonging were sealed, where the seals were located, nor that he could unseal them.

There was silence, save for the creaking of Naruto's chair as he roused himself from his meditations. Projecting those memories had given him an intense headache, not to mention the edits, and he felt something trickle out of his nose. It was blood, a thin trickle, but still a trickle. He nodded his silent thanks as Bear passed him a kerchief.

Around the room, individuals began to stir, the minds busy, trying to comprehend not just what they had seen, but the manner in which it was portrayed.

"Im...impossible. How could...it's not possible..." muttered Inoichi.

"All the same, there it was...Hokage-sama, might I ask Uzumaki-san a question?"

Sarutobi roused himself. It was one thing to read a report, but quite another to actually live through the event. He could tell that the speeded up sections had been the actual cleanup of the bodies, though he still felt the stirrings of pride for what the boy had accomplished. "If Uzumaki-san agrees."

Seeing the boy nod as he blotted his nose, Shikaku asked, "What size where those bags, as in, how much could they hold?"

"Thirty gallons."

"How did your earth clones manage the weight?"

"Um...I'm still learning chakra control, so I might have made them extra strong without meaning to. It all worked out in the end though."

"I suppose so...still...that's 800 gallons worth of dead animals. If, if Yamanaka-san is willing, I'd like to broach the complaint the rest of us have."

Inoichi, still coming to grips with seeing something his own clan had failed at creating could only nod.

"Well, Hokage-sama, it seems to me that all the mess we are seeing with our feedstock is a direct result of whoever butchered all those animals. Spider-san was correct, as those varied species were low-level predators, feeding primarily on insects and vermin...the same insects and vermin which are ruining our food supplies for our herds."

"How many represented, Nara-san?"

"Across the board, Hokage-sama. Hardest hit has been grain stores. I know all the corn I had saved from the winter harvest is only good for compost now. It's going to be expensive importing the things I'll need to keep the deer healthy. And that's just me.

"I could probably give my corn to Akimichi, but Chouza has told me none of his pigs will touch the his meal, now that the rats have gotten to it. You don't have to be an Inuzuka to be able to smell that musk." Though pigs and hogs will eat just about anything organic, the Akimichi stock were a bit more select in their diet, and commanded a higher price because of this.

"I see. So the main issue with the rest of the grievances coincides with the removal of a large section of low-level predators?"

"So it would seem, Hokage-sama. As Spider-san said, when a wheel is missing spokes, it wobbles. It is possible to import those species from other parts, but it will take time for them to acclimate, and even then, they themselves will have a population boon, leading to another wobble. It could be five to ten years before balance is restored, less time if we suffer a few very hard winters."

"Inuzuka, what is your response to the evidence?"

Tsume could have bluffed, stating that not once was an Inuzuka shown to have perpetrated any such action, and she might have done such had she not been thrown off-kilter. Seeing those rooms, those bloody putrid rooms, had shocked her, shaken her core. She was reminded of stern warnings from her own mother, to never lose oneself in the hunt, but she had.

She had roused the clan, drove them into a frenzy, and together they lost themselves to the hunt. All of it was for such a small reason, a petty reason, a surefire plan to make Uzumaki stay away from the Academy by inciting paranoia, a fear of leaving what was his unattended in case it happened again.

It was a blur, drenched in beautiful hues and scents. It was later that the piles of skins were found, skins they in turn sold for quite a tidy sum, hundreds of skins of various species. For a solid week she had racked her mind, trying to remember where they had all come from and where they had been all this time. No Inuzuka would dare trap that many animals all in one go.

They were supposed to be Konoha's stewards, the clan which maintained the Balance.

"The...the Inuzuka retract all allegations of wrongdoing. We...we yield to the Hokage's will."

"Very well. The Chair finds in favor of Uzumaki. An accord will be reached later today, which should reduce, somewhat, further damage from infestation. Yamanaka-san, you have the floor."

"I...I thank you, Hokage-sama. I will make this brief, as I feel we all have much to ponder. I wish to apologize, before this body, to Aburame Shibi for the actions of my clan and heir. I humbly ask that Aburame-san reconsider their stance on our prior trade agreements."

"Denied. When we feel the Yamanaka clan is ready to be trusted with a trade agreement with the Aburame, we will approach you at that time. You would do well to remember that Uzumaki is a friend to the Aburame." Shibi paused, before continuing in a gentler fashion. "For the sake of our old, now bruised, friendship, I would advise you to burn all of your plants in your third store. If you hurry, you might be able to save your second store. You have a nasty aphid invasion."

"I...oh...um...nothing further, Hokage-sama. I...I move that we close this session."

"Seconded," droned Shikaku.

"Motion carried. Ibiki, if you would."

"Rise!"

Everyone rose to their feet.

"Bow!"

"Thank you Hokage-sama!"

Sarutobi collected his notes and rose. "It shouldn't need to be said, but let me state plainly that everything seen or experienced in this chamber, including abilities, are considered state secrets. I can trust my shinobi to be discreet, but if I hear a single peep in the village of what all of you just witnessed, I will personally have the Civilian Council executed for treason.

"It won't be like the last time, where only those responsible for outing Naruto's status were executed. This time, you're all in this together." He had kept his eyes firmly on a rapidly paling Gosu. Warning delivered, he turned and exited the chamber.

"Dismissed! Inuzuka, stay. Hokage-sama will be sending for you very soon. Uzumaki, you said nine units. Elaborate."

"Hai, Ibiki-san...the main unit, and those around it. All the walls in adjoining units were stained, and the stink got into the rest. Three on top, either side, and three on bottom. That's nine, and the only way I can see to fix it would be to tear it all down and build fresh. Once that smell gets into those cheap walls, it never comes out."

"I see," said Ibiki, writing all that down. "Sign at the bottom after reading. Make sure the details are correct."

Naruto quickly scanned the proffered note, it detailing the shown memory along with extra details, before signing it at the bottom, remembering with pride his first signature. None saw the emotions in his eyes as he recalled just who showed him what his name looked like. He missed her so very much.

"You're free to go, Uzumaki. Jiraiya-sama, stay a bit. I'm sure Hokage-sama would like to talk to you as well."

Jiraiya cast a half-hearted glare at Naruto, who refused to acknowledge him, still smarting over the varied embarrassments from being trussed to being called a deadbeat. Sighing in resignation, wondering how he always ended up saying the wrong thing to the boy, the Toad Sage settled back in his chair and perused his own notes. There was no way they got the sealing wrong.

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It was decidedly odd for the Yamanaka to snooze in class, unlike the Nara two seats over. Catching Akimichi's eye, Iruka tilted his head towards the girl as the verbal readings continued around them.

He shook the shoulder of his secret crush, eyes growing wider as she slid from her seat and hit the floor with a dull thump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 14.1: Sealing theory was a thought based upon Naruto ch. 370. There, Naruto had Kyuubi's yang (masculine) chakra, which I surmise to be physical, while the yin (feminine/mental) was sealed in the Key Toad scroll. Here, they got the two switched.
> 
> As for combative!Naruto, though his body is going on eight, due to his use/abuse of Time Dilation, his mind and emotions are roughly fifteen. He's hip-deep in the 'rebellious' phase.


	15. Responsibilities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous chapter: Jiraiya fails at tsundere, the Council gets rowdy and Ino goes soul searching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

As he left the chamber, Naruto was gently pulled to the side by Bear.

"Uzumaki-san, if you could wait in this side room until the chamber is cleared, I would like to see how we could repair that which has been damaged."

Naruto complied, not wanting to be around any of those rude people as they exited, face flushed in embarrassment for making things difficult for Bear.

"Um, sorry about that Bear. When the Pervert was...saying his garbage, I got kind of angry and the wood twisted. Hey, are trees warm?"

Bear, standing guard at the door, blinked beneath his mask. "Not that I know of, Uzumaki-san. Though the bark can be warmed by sun or flame, it is not a native state. Why do you ask?"

"The wall...um, the room tree thingy, it was warm to the touch, and I could feel a hum as the sap flowed."

"Are you quite sure about that, Naruto-kun?"

A sharp nod was his response.

"I see. Keep this information close the vest. When I come for you, together we will see what we can learn."

Despite the past few hours, a fond smile found its way onto the boy's face.

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"Hokage-sama, you wished to sp..." That was as far as Tsume got before being slammed against the wall and held there by the sheer force of Sarutobi's chakra and anger.

Kuromanu, after half a step in defense of his mistress, found himself upon his black back, his white belly fur showing. Around his throat was none other than the Sandaime's hand.

"Be at peace, Kuro-kun, or do you wish to join your mistress in punishment?" As such was spoken, potted shrubs which lined the office walls deployed tendrils closest to Tsume, binding her limbs and spreading them.

Tsume, for her part, found herself not only shamed, but voiceless. A solid plug of chakra blocked her mouth, rendering her mute. She found she was not spread wantonly, but anatomically, as in the diagrams she saw as a genin. Still, it was humiliating and humbling to find herself outclassed by someone so old and frail. There was also a very real sense of panic within her breast, for this was one of the few times in which she had been completely locked down, feeling her considerable chakra but being unable to call upon it, nor her own natural strength.

Sarutobi, ignoring Tsume, spoke with Kuromanu. "Think not on her distress. This is punishment." When he felt movement, focused killing intent found its way into the canine's brain.

**_'This is Alpha!'_ "Hokage-sama, this one begs for restraint."**

"How curious." Sarutobi still held on to the canine's neck, belly to the sky in a very clear show of submission. "Was restraint shown to Uzumaki-kun? That child has had to deal with so much, and then _you lot_ just had to add to it. How should I show restraint, Kuro-kun?"

Wild eyes sought his mistress. "No no, eyes on me, Kuro-kun, or are you as disrespectful as your mistress?"

The dark orbs were dragged back to the old man's own, those eyes drawn in remorse and...disappointment.

"I am saddened by your actions, Kuro-kun. You lead the pack and yet you let this happen, this purge and brutality."

Both human and her companion blanched at the memory.

"Should I kill her, Kuro-kun? Kill her, remove her skin, and let her rot for weeks in a hot room? Should I kill her clan and put them there too for the festering?

"Eye contact, Kuro-kun."

Against his will, as this was Alpha speaking, Kuromanu's eyes were drawn back to the same tired and sorrowful eyes he wanted to escape. He found though, that he could not look away.

"What would you do, Kuro-kun? If the places were switched, and your own safe-place, a place where you felt most secure, where you slept, was violated in such a manner, filled several feet deep with death, decay, and defecation; what would you do if you could unleash untold destruction?"

There was a heavy silence. "You may speak the truth, Kuro-kun. I will not hold anything said in this room, at this time, against anyone, yourself included."

Kuromanu felt his words thicken at that, known that he was recognized as a citizen, not just a dog. His unbidden thoughts flickered over to the shunned boy.

**"I...if I had held Kyuubi...I would have let it out."** He desperately wanted to look away, but could not. This was Alpha with the grip on his throat.

"I think I would have as well," came the admission. "I am not as strong as Uzumaki-kun. Unlike him though, I had love from family, friends and others. I was acknowledged for myself, not anything I had done. I was seen as myself, and valued. Naruto is just learning what I knew as an infant."

He looked briefly at the ceiling, before gazing back in to Kuromanu's eyes. Throughout all of this, Tsume was ignored, trussed as she was.

"If I had to go all through what he has with no support except for the demon sealed within, this place would be in ruin. Naruto, he shames me without even trying."

**"It...it hurts. Can I look away, please? My mistress...distress!"**

"Just a little bit longer, Kuro-kun. This is punishment, so try to abide, okay?"

Before the dog could answer, there was a knock at the door.

"Come."

It opened, and Iruka, folders in hand, stepped into the office and froze upon seeing the tableau.

"Um...Academy reports, Hokage-sama." Tsume had opted on a kimono, as befitting her station, to reinforce the image of mourning and female clan head. Currently though, due to her situation, her clothing was spread, thighs visible, and Iruka had trouble peeling his eyes away.

"On the desk, if you would. You must be curious about this, yes?"

Iruka nodded dumbly, noting Tsume's feverish face and firm thighs.

"I am Hokage, and am responsible for what this village does to the world. She is Clan Head, and is responsible for what her clan does to the village, and the Inuzuka have done a great wrong."

"Hokage-sama?"

"In the spirit of meanness, they upset the natural balance, harassed a child, and despoiled his property with hundreds of pounds of dead animals, left to rot for weeks. They hurt Naruto-kun in the worst way, attacking the place where he slept."

Something in Iruka's gut twisted, a feeling formed in his mind, and hard eyes bored into Tsume's own. Shaking himself internally, his resolve to mend fences established, he continued from when he had been distracted.

"Also, there seems to have been an accident of sorts. Yamanaka-san has been notified."

Sarutobi nodded, his eyes never straying from the hound's own. "This will have to do, Kuro-kun. It is my hope that you will not end up in such a position again."

Tsume found herself freed, landing heavily on her feet. Her hands moved quickly, one pulling the fabric closed around her chest, the other around her legs. She noted that none of the males present, including her own Companion, looked at her.

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"Are you sure you want me to do this? I mean...it was me who screwed it all up to begin with."

"It should be fine, and at any rate, any output can't really be worse than what is already here."

Naruto couldn't suppress the wince. "Yeah, sorry about that, but..."

"Sorry won't fix it." There was a pause. "Apologies, Uzumaki-kun. I sometimes forget that I am not speaking to ANBU, but to an academy student."

Naruto nodded where he stood, still taken aback by the sharp rebuke. Bear was right though, sorry wouldn't fix this. "So, um...what should I do?"

Bear sighed deeply, then removed his mask, having received permission from Sarutobi beforehand. This particular situation needed a more direct approach.

"Touch the wall."

Naruto took in the framed visage, complete with odd headpiece, and those dark eyes. "But last time, things got twisted."

"That was due to your emotions. So change them, and think of others things. Have you no happy thoughts?"

Naruto shrugged, his young mind still recalling the council and their disparaging remarks.

"Am I not your friend?" He got an uncertain nod. "Then think of that. Think of Teuchi-san and his daughter. Think of Anko and...and Ocelot-san. Yes, even her. Recall the good of her and know, just like your lake statue, so long as the ripples she created in the Pool of Life reach the shore, she will never be forgotten."

Numbly, he stretched out his hands and placed both on the churned up wall. Into it, he poured his grief, sorrow and love. It was mainly thanks to Ocelot that he knew of love, if only a little bit.

He never felt his eyes water, nor the tracks which ran to his chin and dripped off, staining the floor. Tenzou saw though, which firmed his resolve to strengthen his bonds with the boy.

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Inside, Kurama was silent and still, despite his deep fear. It was the Senju who repressed him before, and this was a Senju creation which he could feel through the seal, even as dormant as it was.

The massive trees shuddered and began to sway, the deep creaks from within the trunks filling the forest of the mind. He was the silent witness to the damaged wall shifting beneath the boy's hands. The wood flowed as the one called Bear gave Naruto an oral history of the village's founding. Sensing something, Kurama turned, only to see the same inscriptions, fueled by the boy's imagination, starting at the base of a nearby oak, the carvings wrapping around the trunk as the images moved upwards.

With a startled yelp, Kurama landed next to a tinkling statue. Sparing Ocelot's effigy a glance, he could only frown. He was finding himself in this refuge too often for his tastes.

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Tenzou proved to be a good storyteller, adding details for Naruto's benefit as he marveled at the wood moving in such a liquid manner. Above all was the urging to touch, just for a moment, the murals at the point of repair. It was his ANBU training which stayed his hand, danger senses clamoring for his attention.

From the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Tenzou shift away slightly, the gesture drawing his eyes to small clusters of flowers, which peppered the branches. He was pretty sure there were no flowers before, nor was there any pattern to the colors. It was as if a rainbow had been broken up into small pieces, then rearranged haphazardly.

Despite his instruction and time with the Aburame, these were ones he had never seen before. Given Jiraiya-teme's comment before about the chamber, Naruto would hazard that these flowers were unique.

Idly, Naruto wondered if he'd be able to get a sample of them, though it'd have to be later. Taking flowers now, which hadn't been there before, seemed too much like him pressing his luck. Pausing, he noticed the unease felt by both Kurama, and himself, right before his hand, which had been repairing the mural, sunk inwards to the elbow.

"Naruto!" Tenzou's attempt to pull the boy free was aborted when several spikes shot forward, framing the child, slightly curving inwards.

Naruto, with a yelp of surprise and alarm, hastily pulled his arm free, feeling the welcoming warmth along the length. His departure was abrupt, as he backed into something akin to a cage. Before he could think too much on it, he found himself pressed bodily against the murals, liquid wood welcoming him back.

Tenzou began to make seals and the spikes grew barbs, oozing black sap. As they charged towards each other, a rather loud smack stilled everything.

"Hana-chan, please release your guests. This behavior is most unbecoming of you." Sarutobi stood there, tapping a folded fan against the wood.

Naruto, who had been pushing back as best he could, since wherever he touched, the wood would flow, found himself stumbling backwards as the cage around him retracted in a blink. He was gripped by the shoulders, and tossed from the room, Tenzou following only to catch him again before he hit anything.

"Forgive me, Naruto-san. I thought it best to remove you from there as soon as possible." Blinking, he hastily let go of Naruto, gazing at his hands. The palms were wooden, and felt warm. He showed them to both Naruto and Sarutobi.

"It would seem that I'd best not touch you, so close to this chamber. I'm not going to stop being your friend though, if that's what you think."

Naruto blinked and shakily nodded. He had thought that, given how brusquely he had been released, and Tenzou's recoil.

"I honestly wasn't expecting this reaction at all. Hana-chan hasn't done anything like this since Tsunade was a genin." Sarutobi had moved towards them, taking Tenzou's hands and turning them this way and that, observing how the wood flexed as if skin.

"Tsunade Senju, Hashirama-dono's granddaughter?"

Sarutobi smiled, noting how that simple action helped put Naruto at ease. "I see someone has been reading ahead."

"A bit. Um, so...what was all that?"

"I'll explain on the way, and it's best we move from here anyway."

Tenzou could only nod at that, feeling the texture of his palms revert to skin the further they moved from the chamber. In all his time there, this had never happened before. He glanced at Naruto as he replaced his mask, thinking on things to teach him, with certain techniques at the front of the queue if his suspicions were correct.

Unseen, both behind and below them, feeder roots began to shift and move.

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Naruto had followed Sarutobi mutely, heavily thinking of the chamber. "Um, were the murals alright?"

Sarutobi, lost in his own thoughts, glanced down at the boy with a nod and smile. "Well enough, and very vivid from how they used to look. The rest, Hana-chan can remember. Like I said, this has happened before, and Hana-chan fixed it herself. That was a good forty years ago though.

"The reason you're needed now is that something happened to one of your classmates, so there's some questions which need to be asked."

They ended up in another chamber, this one dry walled, to Naruto's relief. Having a living wall attempt to pull you inside could rattle anyone's nerves. He noticed, with a souring expression, that all his classmates were there, with their parents and guardians. The atmosphere, already tense before they opened the door, behind which had been muted shouting, increased a subtle amount as their group had walked inside the suddenly silent room.

"Is there a problem, Inuzuka-sama?" The tone was polite and tired, with the put upon nuance of having to deal with, yet again, a problem child. When they had entered, he had seen how hastily she had dropped a man she was about to punch.

"Just, uh, just difference in opinion, Hokage-dono." She sketched a deeply polite bow, never taking her eyes off of Sarutobi. At his gesture, she quickly took a seat, the action prompting others to do the same.

"The Aburame group is over there, if you'd like to sit with them."

Naruto nodded his thanks, noting the hard looks the Inuzuka group was receiving from families with daughters, including the blond man seated at the front of the room. Nodding again, he whispered to Sarutobi, "But first, I need to do something. Seems the more adults I meet, the more _I_ have to be the adult in the room."

He heard the slight chuckle as he oriented on Tsume, bowing as she had, while keeping eye contact. In deference to the basis of this action, he adopted a passive tone for his sincerity. "This one would like to apologize to Inuzuka-sama for things said earlier. Clan Inuzuka has always been steadfast defenders of our home, and though angry and young, those are not excuses for the slanders levied against your lineage. As well, deepest condolences for the family you and yours have lost."

None of this was sincere, though all present save Sarutobi would have had a very hard time proving such. Naruto, thanks in large part to Kurama repairing older memories, knew that Inuzuka was behind most of the animal murders, those poor souls having the misfortune of being touched by his younger self.

Having delivered the calculated message, he straightened and moved towards Shibi's group, noting every eye was on him, knowing also they would see with whom he sat. He couldn't help but see that, with a warming feeling, space had already been reserved by them for him.

Shibi nodded to him as he took his seat. "That was a shrewd maneuver."

"It can't hurt anything," Naruto replied in a lowered tone to match Shibi's. "Those that were in session will also recall the things said of me, that I was a fatherless son of a whore, and a skin-suit on top of that."

"Do not fret. We will remember, for Uzumaki is a friend of Aburame. Shino-kun, perhaps you can inform Naruto-san as for why we are here."

Shino moved to sit closer to Naruto, with their standard single seat between them. "Some time after the ANBU came for you, Ino-chan collapsed during class. There is some thought that she might have the Sleeping Sickness."

Shibi spoke over the head of his son for Naruto's benefit. "That is a Yamanaka term for when one of their clan uses a soul transfer technique, meant to hijack a person, and doesn't return for whatever reason. The heart still beats, the lungs draw breath, but the afflicted can no longer eat, drink, or perform any other motor function. Unless their care is managed, they usually die within a week from dehydration.

"The only way for that girl to have contracted the Sickness is to have used one of the Yamanaka combat techniques while in a class setting. That alone brings up many troubling questions."

"That is why we were summoned," continued Shino. "Yamanaka-sama had given a note to Iruka-sensei, which was read to us. They have several techniques which can detect spiritual residue. Their clan was waiting for us to leave so they could set up seals there, just in case she's trapped in the room somewhere."

Further conversation, which had been a room-wide hum as all the eyes which had tracked Naruto's route also had mouths which jabbered over the company kept, stilled as Inoichi Yamanaka cleared his throat. The statement 'Uzumaki is a friend of Aburame' had been loud enough for many to hear, and the implications made for busy dialogues, tempered a bit by having their Hokage in residence.

"Thank you all for coming. As you may have heard, there has been some sort of training accident involving my daughter and clan heir. What she might have done where and when is secondary to where she might be currently, and that's why her classmates were asked to assemble here.

"The Sleeping Sickness happens for a variety of reasons, and techniques were developed to scan for spiritual residue. Even if a little is found, it can be salvaged and used as an anchor to pull other bits back into the body. Hokage-sama, if I can demonstrate on your ANBU?"

Sarutobi, well familiar with their techniques, gave a motion to Bear, who moved from his position to stand next to Inoichi. The man flipped through five seals, then moved both hands over Tenzou, from top to bottom, never once actually touching the body.

"ANBU-san is clear, and I would have had to scan him sooner or later, since he was in the classroom at one point today, no matter how brief. Had there been a positive hit, my hands would glow blue. As you can see, the subject is not touched at all."

There was a knock on the door, before it slid open admitting Iruka. "Apologies for being late. Yamanaka-san, the classroom is clear, and I've brought the roster to help with doing this in an orderly fashion."

Inoichi blinked, then nodded his thanks, having not even thought of how he was going to actually do the testing. Having the class teacher here also lifted some weight off his frazzled shoulders. He had to be here though, as these techniques could only test for single tier blood relations, which meant he could perform detections for his children, siblings and parents, but not his wife or her siblings, nor the rest of his clan, no matter their actual relationship.

There were other techniques which were more generalized, but they were also less efficient.

After Iruka greeted his Hokage, and the clan heads with multiple bows, he moved to stand besides Inoichi. "We'll do this alphabetically by family name. Abo," he smiled and motioned for the girl to come forward, "you're up first, followed by Aburame."

When Shino went forward, Shibi whispered to Naruto, "Normally, we would be immune to most of the Yamanaka soul techniques, thanks to our colonies. There's still the chance that a part of her is on Shino's clothing, if the kikai have been lazy, that is."

"Your beetles clean your clothes as well? That's pretty efficient!" Though in a quiet tone, Naruto's appreciation for their colonies never ceased to amuse Shibi.

The only hiccup had been Naruto's first exposure to Shokuku, one of their blind gardeners. She had been blinded in combat, her rage at losing her sight infusing her colonies to devastating effect. It had taken years of rehabilitation to restore some semblance of calm to her hives. What had freaked the boy out, at least at first, were the kikai in her ruined sockets, acting as her eyes, along with her refusal to use any sort of eyewear. He was rather fond of her frank demeanor, as well as the person.

Shibi's attention was abruptly shifted to his son, and the blue hands of Inoichi. "Inoichi-san, kikai."

Inoichi nodded brusquely. "Understood. With your permission, as well as your son's, I'd like to perform another technique to simply scan the outer jacket."

"Let it be done, for your daughter's sake."

Making the appropriate signs, Inoichi shifted to a half-ram on his left hand, while on the right hand, the middle, index and thumb touched, while the rest of the fingers curled inwards. Slowly moving across a chest pocket, he paused, then pinched something unseen. His left hand broke the seal, dipping into his thigh hostler for a scroll. Once unrolled, what he had pinched was placed into the middle of the seal, and activated.

"You have my eternal thanks, Shibi-sama. There was but a small trace, but if more is not found, it should be enough, Heavens willing, to be her anchor." Thanking Shino quietly, he turned his attention back to Iruka, waiting the next name.

Shino, thanks to his family training, betrayed nothing in his movements as he walked back to his family and friend. He could see Naruto also caught the implication immediately, for Shino was always seated on his left, and the soul pinch was from the right breast pocket. That gave trajectory.

Once Shino was situated, they both glanced at Iruka. They easily caught his eye, though Iruka showed no reaction, despite his knowing rather well the actual seating arrangements.

Naruto glanced at Shino and Shibi, softly saying, "Shino sits on my left, Shibi-sama, with an empty seat between us. Ino sits a rank down and across the aisle. She was aiming for me."

He huffed out a breath, then flicked a sign towards Iruka, shielded from the rest of the room. The only ones who saw it were Sarutobi, Bear, and Iruka. 'Betray'

Iruka only gave a short shake of his head, barely a twitch.

Naruto tapped his fingers irritably on the desk. 'Betray' he signed again. His name would come at the very end, for the only person after him was Ino.

'Refuse' Iruka's fingers barely moved.

Glancing at Sarutobi, Naruto signed with a quick point towards Shino. 'Sit left class. Girl cross aisle, down. Me target' He saw the shoulders slump briefly with a minute head shake.

'One thing, another' came the response. Though many in the room saw Sarutobi's flicker, only a few understood the context. Off to his side, Iruka continued to call names for Inoichi's scans, studiously ignoring Naruto's signed demands to betray the boy.

It was Shibi's soft words which stilled him. "This is also for Inoichi's sake, that he might be thorough. I would be the same, you would be the same."

"I understand, Shibi-sama, but this also just draws it out. The roster ends with me, and nothing good under the sun can come from this. I got blamed for an internal Uchiha power grab gone bad, got blamed for Inuzuka going on a bender, and now I'll get blamed for their girl using a combat technique in a class of politically important kids."

**"Kit, I think I found the memory of it. Even if you aren't focusing on something, other things still get catalogued. She most likely aimed at you when the ANBU came for you this morning."**

_'I'll be right there, Kurama-sensei.'_

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Together, they watched as the located memory played out, as seen from the mindscape. There had been a blue meteor, of sorts, just a fuzzy ball. It had gone straight for impact, not knowing about Naruto's biomass, nor the atmosphere which formed a massive dome over his consciousness. It struck and broke up in a shower of tiny shards, sparkling briefly across the sky before they winked out.

Naruto frowned, casting his senses out. "She's not down here anywhere, which means she's still up there, spread across the sky dome."

He glanced about, clearly frustrated at this new drama. "Well, _shit_. Yamanaka is going to freak."

Looking at Ocelot's statue calmed him a bit, as it always did. "Thanks for finding that, Kurama-sensei, not that we can show it to anybody. I just don't see Inoichi being in the right mindset when they've cleared the roster of all but one person. I was going to give you some time outside again, but that might have to wait until there's not as much attention on us."

Kurama shook his head, his fondness of the boy increasing. **"Time enough for all things. You'd best be getting back."**

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Rousing himself, not that much time had passed, he sat and waited as classmates, many of whom he recognized from earlier lynchings, such as Haruno and Kazawa, were called and scanned. "Thanks again for allowing me to sit with Aburame. You do realize there's going to be some fallout from this association, right?"

"Let me deal with that, young Uzumaki. Have you considered your representatives yet?"

Naruto nodded, thankful for the distraction from the coming storm. "I have. Though I really can't stand the man, Jiraiya-sama, whenever he's in town. He is my legal guardian, when it's all said and done. Other than him, I'd like to have Bear, if possible. I understand he's often in or around Konoha, and council sessions have set times, most times."

"Shrewd choices, but are you certain about Jiraiya-sama? If there's contention, legal representative or not, there could be issues."

"Despite our relationship, I know for sure that he would never cheat me. The man has far too much integrity for something like that, stealing from a fellow orphan. Toss in his massive guilt from abandoning his student's final wishes and not double checking things, when it's his job to verify information, and he'd probably sit the sessions even if a new bathhouse was opening where women bathe for free."

"I do not understand the connection."

Naruto glanced at Shibi, then reoriented on Shino. "He writes erotic literature as a means to fund his lifestyle and pay for information. Most of his inspiration comes from peeping at women in bathhouses."

Shino, all of seven years, wrinkled his nose. "How is that even legal?"

It was his father who answered. "When one reaches the level of one of the Sannin, the legality of something really doesn't matter as much. Given that his eccentricity isn't as bloody, violent, or onerous as others out there, a blind eye is generally turned his way. Also, he never defends himself physically when he is inevitably discovered by the bathers, another thing in his favor."

Naruto let loose another sigh. "Showtime." Taro was heading back to happy parents, before they stilled, along with everyone else in the room, when his name was called.

He stood, feeling their hateful eyes once more as the whispering began amid speculation of if he was holding the girl for ransom, or if the demon had already consumed her soul, as he made his way to the front of the class.

"Iruka-sensei, why did you let this drag out? Why didn't you just tell him from the beginning?"

"I couldn't do that, Naruto-kun, and no, I will not be giving my reasons. Besides, Inoichi-san needed to check everyone."

"Yeah, I know. Already got that angle from Shibi-sama, and I agree with him. Yamanaka-sama, you're not going to like this at all. She used a combat technique on me in a class full of politically connected children."

Inoichi shook his head. "She would never do anything like that unless provoked."

It was Iruka who answered him. "The only person Uzumaki associates with willingly is Shino-kun. All the others, he avoids. Ino-chan, however, has followed him around before, with her group of friends. I've seen them sit close enough to the two boys as to be heard, saying some frankly rude things to both of them."

"There has to be some sort of mistake. It was a training accident...she would never...you _lie_!" In a blur, he sped through seals and touched Naruto with his finger.

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"Damn that man. Kurama-sensei, we have a rude guest incoming." He turned. "You are not invited here, _Yamanaka_. Leave."

"Not until I have my daughter. Ino? Ino! Where are you honey?"

Frowning, and sorely tempted to eject the man, Naruto pulled up that same memory, having it appear in Inoichi's hands.

"What...what is...oh _no_ , Ino honey. No, nonono." The memory slid through his fingers, evaporating as it did so.

_'Pa....?'_ There had been the briefest of sounds on the wind. It was enough to snap Inoichi's visage skyward.

"This is a lie. This whole construct, this... _place_. It's a lie."

He reoriented on Naruto, an ugly look on his face. "You have her here somewhere. Give her back!" He was a Jounin, and reaching Naruto was effortless. Ignoring the growl from behind, he grabbed Naruto's wrist.

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Naruto opened his eyes first, movement from the side showing Iruka reaching towards them. It had only been a few weeks of learning under Gai-sensei, but that man was very good at teaching martial styles. Though musculature had a hard limit, due to specific body chemicals not being released for several more years, flexibility and exercising the heart and lungs could be done irrespective of age.

It was enough, his knowledge of t'ai chi ch'uan, to push Inoichi's finger away from his chest. The lessons in flexibility were also enough for him to swing his leg upwards, fueled by his anger. Suddenly, Inoichi was no longer taller, having reflexively bent at the waist as Naruto's foot found his crotch.

Naruto gripped the man's ears, pulling his head downwards as his knee rose, and then using the principles of judo, also taught to him by Gai-sensei, used leg placement and leverage to throw the much larger opponent.

He didn't travel far, but it did put him on the ground, dazed with a broken nose. Before the enraged child could do much more, he was pulled away by Bear.

"He attacked me in there!" He looked towards Sarutobi, who had also been in motion the moment Inoichi lost his cool. That little time had passed internally. "He barged in, uninvited, yelled for his daughter, called everything a lie, then tried to lay hands on me. He grabbed my wrist!"

"Bear, clear the room."

"Jounin and chuunin, please move towards the exit in an orderly fashion. Help the civilians and allow them to leave first." With a single tap to his throat mic, two more ANBU materialized in the room to help with crowd control, while also providing protection to other parties.

"Hokage-sama," began Shibi, "I will assist Iruka-sensei in moving Inoichi."

"We got this," came another voice. Shibi glanced up at Nara and Akimichi. "This won't be the first time we've had to drag him out of some place, troublesome man. Hokage-sama, by your leave." Picking up their teammate, they wasted no time in leaving, children in tow.

"I think we too should leave. Hokage-sama, Uzumaki-san, be well the two of you. Come, Shino. You can catch up with your friend on the morrow."

Soon, thanks to the shinobi training and extra security, the room was empty except for Sarutobi, Naruto, and the three ANBU. "Naruto, would you mind showing me what you showed Inoichi?"

Naruto, having calmed down considerably, knowing he was both protected by Bear, and would not be reprimanded for self defense, nodded before he stilled. Presently, the image flickered into being and Sarutobi watched, along with the ANBU, as the blue ball screamed toward the ground, only to break apart while in the sky.

"Naruto." Sarutobi waited until the boy roused himself. "So no parts reached the ground?"

"Nothing did. She's up there still, scattered across the sky dome."

"I see. There's several ways we could do this, but the easiest would probably be to take this scroll containing her fragment, tape it to your chest tonight, and sleep with it. It should act as an anchor, and that close of a proximity should be able to lure out the rest of the pieces, no matter how thinly spread she is up there."

"I guess I have little choice. Though she did attack me, I still have to save her from the consequences of her own actions, all for the good of the village, right?"

"Correct. I'm not happy about any of this either, Naruto-kun. There will be compensations for all of this, I'll see to that personally."

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That night, as Bear kept watch from the apartment's roof, Naruto slept with a scroll taped to his chest. Inside the mindscape, he sat with Kurama on the island, watching the meteor shower, those motes of blue light which would flicker across the night sky as bits of Ino were drawn away by her soul's anchor.

From the ground, tendrils began to cling to and climb the exterior walls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 15.1 Previous title was 'Nothing Good Under the Sun'  
> A/N 15.2 This is the final full chapter for this story, but not the final chapter. Updates for this one will be much slower from here out, so I do ask for your patience. Thank you again for reading this far.


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